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Belief 10
“I spent three nights in a hospital bed, so Medicare will cover my rehab stay in a nursing facility.”
Is that always true?
Correct!
Not quite.
Original Medicare covers skilled nursing facility care only after at least three consecutive days as an admitted inpatient. Time spent “under observation” is outpatient care, even in a hospital bed overnight, and does not count. Patients have left the hospital to find their rehab stay is not covered. Hospitals must give written notice to patients held in observation for more than 24 hours. Ask each day: “Am I admitted, or under observation?”