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President Trump declared a national emergency on March 13, 2020. CMS issued Coronavirus 1812(f) waiver of the 3-Day Stay inpatient hospital requirement for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF). According to Administrator Verma’s press conference on March 13, 2020, the waiver takes effect retroactively to March 1, 2020. https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/emergency-declaration-press-call-remarks-cms-administrator-seema-verma

FAQ link from CMS. https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/Emergency/Downloads/MedicareFFS-EmergencyQsAs1135Waiver.pdf

For billing under this waiver, the Disaster Related (DR) condition code should be used by SNFs (institutional providers). The DR condition code is used at the claim level when all of the services billed on the claim are related to the emergency/disaster. https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/Downloads/clm104c38.pdf

PLEASE NOTE THAT AN ADMITTING RESIDENT MUST MEET SKILLED CRITERIA IN CHAPTER 8 OF THE MEDICARE BENEFIT POLICY MANUAL. https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/Downloads/bp102c08pdf.pdf