Q:
I have a Medicare Part A resident that went home for a visit and stayed overnight. Do I need to complete MDS assessments for an interrupted stay?
A:
Unless your State has a different policy, a Leave of Absence (LOA) which includes a temporary home visit of at least one night does not require completion of either a Discharge assessment or an Entry tracking record. Furthermore, an interrupted stay is defined as a discharge from SNF care, which an LOA as just described, is not. There may be payment implications for an LOA. For example, if a resident leaves a SNF at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, which is Day 27 of the resident’s stay, and returns to the SNF on Thursday at 9:00 a.m., then Wednesday becomes a non-billable day and Thursday becomes Day 27 of the resident’s stay. If the beneficiary experiences a leave of absence during part of the assessment observation period, the facility may include services furnished during the beneficiary’s temporary absence (when permitted under MDS coding guidelines; see RAI Chapter 3).
