§ 409.68 - Guarantee of payment for inpatient hospital or inpatient CAH services furnished before notification of exhaustion of benefits.

§ 409.68 Guarantee of payment for inpatient hospital or inpatient CAH services furnished before notification of exhaustion of benefits.

(a) Conditions for payment. Payment may be made for inpatient hospital or inpatient CAH services furnished a beneficiary after he or she has exhausted the available benefit days if the following conditions are met:

(1) The services were furnished before CMS or the intermediary notified the hospital or CAH that the beneficiary had exhausted the available benefit days and was not entitled to have payment made for those services.

(2) At the time the hospital or CAH furnished the services, it was unaware that the beneficiary had exhausted the available benefit days and could reasonably have assumed that he or she was entitled to have payment made for these services.

(3) Payment would be precluded solely because the beneficiary has no benefit days available for the particular hospital or CAH stay.

(4) The hospital or CAH claims reimbursement for the services and refunds any payments made for those services by the beneficiary or by another person on his or her behalf.

(b) Limitations on payment.

(1) If all of the conditions in paragraph (a) of this section are met, Medicare payment may be made for the day of admission, and up to 6 weekdays thereafter, plus any intervening Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

(2) Payment may not be made under this section for any day after the hospital or CAH is notified that the beneficiary has exhausted the available benefit days.

(c) Recovery from the beneficiary. Any payment made to a hospital or CAH under this section is considered an overpayment to the beneficiary and may be recovered from him or her under the provisions set forth elsewhere in this chapter.

[48 FR 12541, Mar. 25, 1983, as amended at 50 FR 33033, Aug. 16, 1985; 58 FR 30666, May 26, 1993]