What is the 72 hour rule in medical billing?

Asked by: Marcellus Kuhlman DVM  |  Last update: June 14, 2025
Score: 4.6/5 (18 votes)

The 72-hour rule applies to a procedure done on one day (initial date of service) that is followed by a second or combination procedure performed up to 72 hours after the initial date of service. These procedures would then have the correct coding or bundling rules applied.

What are the three exceptions to the Medicare 72 hour rule?

Ambulance services and maintenance renal dialysis services are also excluded. Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are not subject to the three-day window. Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) are exempt except when wholly owned or operated by a non-CAH hospital.

What is the 72 hour overlap rule?

The consolidated 72-hour billing rule states that if a patient has an outpatient encounter 72-hours prior to admission and then is later admitted to the same facility, the hospital organization should combine the Medicare claims from the outpatient encounter and inpatient encounter into one combined Medicare claim to ...

What is the CMS 3 day rule?

The 3-day rule requires the patient to have a medically necessary 3-consecutive-day inpatient hospital stay, which doesn't include the discharge day or pre-admission time in the emergency department (ED) or outpatient observation.

What is the golden rule in medical billing?

The golden rule of healthcare billing and coding departments is, “Do not code it or bill for it if it's not documented in the medical record.” Providers use clinical documentation to justify reimbursements to payers when a conflict with a claim arises.

What Is The 72-Hour Rule For Hospitals? - CountyOffice.org

24 related questions found

What is the rule of 7 billing?

If eight or more minutes are left over, you can bill for an additional unit. But if seven or fewer minutes remain, Medicare will not reimburse you for another full unit, and you must essentially drop the remainder.

What are the 3 parts of the Golden Rule?

Golden Rule
  • Treat others as you would like others to treat you (positive or directive form)
  • Do not treat others in ways that you would not like to be treated (negative or prohibitive form)
  • What you wish upon others, you wish upon yourself (empathetic or responsive form)

What is the 2 midnight rule?

Under the Two-Midnight Rule, CMS generally considered it inappropriate to receive payment under the inpatient prospective payment system for stays not expected to span at least two midnights.

What is CMS 7 minute rule?

Enter the 8-Minute Rule

If eight or more minutes are left over, you can bill for one more unit; if seven or fewer minutes remain, you cannot bill an additional unit.

Does Medicare cover 100% of hospital bills?

Whether you're new to Original Medicare or have been enrolled for some time, understanding the limitations of your coverage is important as you navigate decisions about your healthcare. One of the main reasons why Original Medicare doesn't cover 100% of your medical bills is because it operates on a cost-sharing model.

What is the PD modifier?

Modifier PD

Diagnostic or related non-diagnostic item or service provided in a wholly owned or operated entity to a patient who is admitted as an inpatient within 3 days.

How does the 72 hour rule work?

The 72-hour rule applies to a procedure done on one day (initial date of service) that is followed by a second or combination procedure performed up to 72 hours after the initial date of service. These procedures would then have the correct coding or bundling rules applied.

What time do hospitals charge for a new day?

So, even if you are admitted at 11:00 p.m., you will be billed for one hospital day (along with any accrued charges) the second it turns midnight.

What is the 72 hour rule for medical billing?

What is the 72 hour rule? If a patient is admitted to the hospital and avails diagnostic services within even three days before being admitted to the hospital then these services are considered inpatient services and are included in the inpatient payment, i.e. bundled.

What is the Medicare 85% rule?

Medicare pays for medical and surgical services provided by PAs at 85 percent of the physician fee schedule. This rate applies to all practice settings, including hospitals (inpatient, outpatient and emergency departments), nursing facilities, homes, offices and clinics. It also applies to first assisting at surgery.

What is the Medicare 8 minute rule?

The Basics of the 8-Minute Rule

This rule also applies to other insurances that follow Medicare billing guidelines. Essentially, a therapist must provide direct, one-on-one therapy for at least eight minutes to receive reimbursement for one unit of a time-based treatment code.

What is the 15 minute billing rule?

The 8-Minute & 15-Minute Rule

For any single timed CPT code on the same day, measured in 15-minute units, providers must bill a single 15-minute unit for treatment greater than or equal to 8 minutes through (and including) 22 minutes.

What is the 6 minute clock rule?

6-minute rounding

Another common way to handle time clock rounding rules is to stick to 1/10th of an hour or use increments of 6 minutes. If an employee clocks in at 9:04, for example, after applying the rounding, it will come out to 9:06.

What is the CMS one day rule?

Under the 3-day (or 1-day) payment window policy, all outpatient diagnostic services furnished to a Medicare beneficiary by a hospital (or an entity wholly owned or operated by the hospital), on the date of a beneficiary's admission or during the 3 days (1 day for a non-subsection (d) hospital) immediately preceding ...

What is a condition code 44?

, condition code 44 is: For use on outpatient claims only, when the physician ordered inpatient services, but upon internal utilization review performed before the claim was originally submitted, the hospital determined the services did not meet its inpatient criteria.

What is the 2 day rule for Medicare?

An inpatient admission is generally appropriate when you're expected to need 2 or more midnights of medically necessary hospital care. But, your doctor must order such admission and the hospital must formally admit you in order for you to become an inpatient.

What is the difference between inpatient and outpatient?

An inpatient is a hospital patient who, in most cases, stays in the hospital overnight and meets a set of clinical criteria. Outpatients are people who receive care or hospital services and return home the same day.

What is the silver rule?

The Silver Rule is basically the “Negative” Golden Rule. Taleb writes it as follows: “Do not treat others the way you would not like them to treat you.” Stated another way: if you don't want “X” done to you, don't do “X” to someone else.

What is the iron rule?

Saul Alinsky, one of the founders of modern broad-based community organising in the US, trained thousands of people to take power and win real victories. He had an Iron Rule, 'Never do for others what they can do for themselves. ' It's the Iron Rule because it should never be broken, which is easier said than done!

What is the titanium rule?

The Titanium Rule: Treat Others According to How They Interpret Respect. Essence: The Titanium Rule takes a step further by considering how others interpret respect, emphasizing the need for understanding varying perceptions of value and respect.