1. Admission status orders
Karen Clark, MD FACP
Medical Director Care Management and Utilization Review
Professor of Internal Medicine

2. WVUH
CMS
Requires that hospitals review the appropriateness of all admissions as a condition of participation
Hospitals in the US must not be excluded from participation with CMS in order to survive
Inpatient admissions are paid through Medicare Part A
Outpatient/observation services are paid through Medicare Part B
Levels of Care: Inpatient; Observation; EXON; NOTA

3. Hospital Admission Order
As a condition of payment for hospital services, physician certification of the medical necessity of an admission is required.
The order to admit is a critical element of this physician certification, and is therefore also required for hospital payment
All patients in a hospital bed must have an admission order to a specific level of care (LOC) or “status”

4. Levels of Care
Most patients admitted to the hospital will be either admitted to an observation status or an inpatient status.
CMS follows the 2 Midnight Rule as the basis to determine how to choose the LOC.
Although all payers do not follow the 2 MN rule, we recommend you use this as the primary guide to chose the correct initial level of care

5. How to use the 2 MN rule to choose initial LOC
Medical patients
Surgical patients
D/C likely tomorrow: observation
D/C possible tomorrow: observation
D/C definitely not tomorrow: inpatient
D/C likely tomorrow: observation
D/C possible tomorrow: observation
D/C definitely not tomorrow: inpatient

6. 2 MN rule exceptions Medical patients Surgical patients
EXCEPTIONS: STEMI, NSTEMI; DKA; ESRD with ↑K and EKG changes; unexpected need for mechanical ventilation
EXCEPTIONS: Inpatient only list (IOL) surgery; Insurer gave an inpatient prior authorization; SDH

7. Other 2 MN exceptions Pt made CMO, Hospice, and/or dies
Pt discharges AMA
Pt transferred to another (higher LOC) acute care hospital

8. Other 2 MN exceptions Patient “high risk” and I expected 2 MN?
Referred to as the “case by case exception”
Requires the following: you document risk and an expectation the patient will stay 2 MN--they get better earlier than you expected and are being discharged in less than 2 MN--you document they got better earlier than you expected

9. “Other” LOC: EXON
Surgical or procedural patient being monitored longer than the “designated time” for post op recovery (up to 6 hours)
Try to avoid this status as there is no payment for these patients
UR will be looking at these cases for complications in order to assign an observation or inpatient LOC (we don’t want EXON)

10. NOTA
“Not Appropriate” for acute care: patient who remains in a hospital bed even though no clinical indication/need for acute hospitalization exists
Try to avoid this as there is no payment for these patients
Is a billing indicator meaning “stop bill”

11. EPIC Admit Order Screen

12. Utilization Review Staff
Behind the scenes performing ongoing reviews of the record
Your documentation is critical to this process. Your thought process/decision making reflected in the record is essential
RN assigned to your service
Contact them (or me) with questions

13. Questions?
Dr. Karen Clark