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your discharge from a hospital, ask if you
can get care in other settings (like home
health care) or if any other programs (like
Medicaid or Veterans’ benefits) can cover
your SNF care. Always ask your doctor or
hospital staff if Medicare will cover your
SNF stay.
How would hospital
observation services affect
my SNF coverage?
Your doctor may order “observation
services” to help decide whether you need
to be admitted to a hospital as an inpatient
or can be discharged. During the time you’re
getting observation services in a hospital,
you’re considered an outpatient. This means
you can’t count this time towards the 3-day
inpatient hospital stay needed for Medicare
to cover your SNF stay.
For more information about Medicare services
visit www.medicare.gov/publications.
/publications