The ACO SNF Admission Waiver Linked To Shorter SNF Stays & Higher Discharge To Home

After granting some Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs) a waiver related to covered skilled nursing facility (SNF) stays, beneficiaries had shorter SNF stays and higher rates of discharge to home. Normally, Medicare will only cover a SNF admission if the beneficiary has been hospitalized for three days before admission. Beneficiaries admitted to a SNF without a three-day hospitalization had lower or similar rates of adverse outcomes relative to beneficiaries admitted after a hospitalization of three or more days.
For beneficiaries admitted after a three-day hospitalization, SNF stays ranged from 23 days in 2014 and declined to 22 days . . .