WASHINGTON, DC–(ENEWSPF)–April 14, 2011. U.S. Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) and Congressmen Joe Courtney (D-CT) and Tom Latham (R-IA) today introduced legislation to fix an arbitrary Medicare policy that excludes coverage of skilled nursing care. Under current Medicare policy, a beneficiary must have an “inpatient” hospital stay of at least three days for Medicare to cover skilled nursing care. Patients who receive hospital care on “observation status” do not qualify for this benefit, even if their hospital stay lasts longer than three days.
