FROM: Theodore O. Will, Chief Executive Officer
DATE: Aug 18, 2003
SUBJECT: ADMISSION NOTICE TO BENEFICIARIES - IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM MEDICARE (IM)
IPRO CONTACTS:
Alice Vallar, Senior Director, Medicare/Federal Health Care Assessment (516) 326-7767, Extension 423
Please be advised that changes have been made (Section 312 of the Medicare Hospital Manual Transmittal 801) to the Medicare Notice known as "Important Message From Medicare" (IM). Copies of the revised versions are attached in both English and Spanish. Hospitals are required to issue the Important Message From Medicare to all Medicare beneficiaries that are admitted as inpatients to the hospital at or about the time of their admission or at some point during the course of their hospital stay.
Regulations allow the IM to be issued at some point during the course of the inpatient's hospital stay as long as it is not issued in conjunction with the beneficiary's notice of noncoverage. Hospitals must ensure that Medicare beneficiaries whose primary language is Spanish, receive the Spanish version of the IM.
NOTE: The new IM forms are appropriate for use both with hospitals paid under the Prospective Payment System (PPS) and for those patients admitted to non-PPS hospitals. Distribution to all Medicare beneficiaries includes patients enrolled in a Medicare managed care plan as well as those in Original Medicare. The forms also apply for admissions to acute care hospitals in waivered states, specialty hospitals and hospital units exempt from PPS, i.e., rehabilitation and psychiatric units.
NOTE: Hospitals are now required to issue the IM to patients who are transferred (or admitted) to swing beds (for skilled care or less than skilled care). A swing bed is not considered a part of the hospital unit exempt from PPS. The new IM provides general information including the name of the Quality Improvement Organization. There is no information that is required to be completed on this notice. Hospitals may elect to add their identifying information i.e. logo, name, address, telephone number to the top of the notice above the title "Important Message From Medicare". No other modification may be added to this message.