Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR) Practice Exam

If a patient remains an inpatient of a skilled nursing facility for more than 30 days, what is allowed?

1. Terminate the patient's care plan

2. Submit interim bills to the Medicare program

3. Discharge the patient

4. Increase the patient's care fee

The correct answer is: Submit interim bills to the Medicare program

When a patient remains an inpatient in a skilled nursing facility for more than 30 days, Medicare guidelines permit the submission of interim bills for services provided. This process involves billing Medicare for the care given to the patient at regular intervals, allowing the facility to receive timely reimbursement for the services rendered. Submitting interim bills helps manage cash flow for the facility and ensures that Medicare is kept informed of ongoing services and care needs. Additionally, this practice aligns with Medicare's policies, which support the continuity of care and the financial sustainability of skilled nursing facilities. Other options, such as terminating the patient's care plan or discharging the patient, are not applicable in this context as they do not reflect a normal procedure for long-term care under Medicare regulations. Increasing the patient's care fee is also not a standard practice and would typically require adherence to established reimbursement rates and policies rather than arbitrary price changes.