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Swing Bed Program. The Swing Bed Program is often covered by Medicare and Medicaid, as well as many private insurance plans. . Swing Bed Program. Medicare - Skilled level of care:
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Swing Bed Program • The Swing Bed Program is often covered by Medicare and Medicaid, as well as many private insurance plans.
Swing Bed Program • Medicare - Skilled level of care: • The patient must have at least a three-day stay as an acute care patient before transitioning to the Swing Bed Program. • The patient must also need ongoing monitoring and require rehabilitative therapy. • There are no age restrictions to the program. • The Swing Bed Program is routinely considered for patients who have had hip or knee surgery.
Swing Bed Program • Medicaid – Nursing Facility level of care: • Patient must require NF level of care on a daily basis. • Physician must certify need.
Swing Bed Program • Advantages to the patient: • The same staff as those who cared for the patient during his/her acute care usually perform Swing Bed care. The patient will have more time to recover and gain strength before leaving the hospital. • The patient has easier access to such medical services as respiratory therapy and lab tests.
Swing Bed Program • Advantages to the hospital: • Swing beds provide the hospital the opportunity to utilize existing vacant hospital beds and to receive reimbursement for this service. • Contributes toward fixed cost recovery • Swing bed patients do not require the level of resources as that of acute care patients.
Swing Bed Program • Disadvantages: • Medicaid patients are covered for Intermediate Levels of service (NF). • It may be difficult to transfer a long-term Medicaid patient from the swing-bed setting into a more appropriate nursing facility setting.
Swing Bed Program • Disadvantages • Since swing beds are not physically separate from acute care beds, swing bed patients might resent other patients receiving more nursing care, especially if both are in the same room. • It may be tough for staff and physicians to shift gears in providing a “near-acute” level of care, rather than the acute level.
Summary • In summary, both the rural health clinic and swing bed program can offer additional sources of revenue to the hospital, especially in the case of Critical Access Hospitals which receive cost-based reimbursement.