Does Medicare pay for sub-acute rehabilitation?
Yes, in specific circumstances. The Medicare Part A benefit includes a benefit for up to100 days in a skilled nursing facility for skilled care, such as restorative rehabilitation, wound care, and IV treatment. To be eligible for this care, the patient must have been hospitalized for three days and require services for the condition for which he or she was hospitalized. Medicare has established specific criteria for eligibility for different skilled services in a skilled nursing (sub-acute) facility. When the need for the skilled services in the facility ends, Medicare coverage also ends. This is often prior to the use of the full 100 day benefit. If the patient remains in the facility beyond the period of Medicare coverage, another source of payment will be needed. When a person qualifies for Medicare in a skilled nursing facility, Medicare will cover the first 20 days in full and all but $119.00 a day (in 2006) from days 21 to 100, provided the Medicare-covered services are needed du