CMS Announces Second Delay of 2-Midnight Rule Enforcement
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently extended a delay on full enforcement of the 2-Midnight Rule until September 30, 2014. During the delay, Recovery Audit Contractors and other Medicare review contractors are instructed not to conduct post-payment audits of inpatient hospital claims with dates of admission on or after October 1, 2013 through October 1, 2014. Medicare Administrative Contractors will have until October 1, 2014 to continue conducting pre-payment “probe and education” reviews for dates of admission between March 31, 2014 and September 30, 2014. CMS announced it will continue to provide industry guidance on the 2-Midnight Rule through educational sessions throughout the delay.
Updates regarding the 2-Midnight Rule are available at:
“Updates 1-13-14.” Jan. 2014. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 31 Jan. 2014. <http://cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Monitoring-Programs/Medicare-FFS-Compliance-Programs/Medical-Review/InpatientHospitalReviews.html>.