Q&A: Moving patients between acute care facilities

Q. If a patient is moved from one acute care facility to another acute care facility, would this be treated as a transfer or a discharge?

A. Discharge of an acute care hospital inpatient is considered a transfer for purposes of payment if discharge is from the acute care hospital to the care of another IPPS hospital. When patients are admitted to another IPPS hospital on the same day they leave an IPPS hospital, the transferring hospital is subject to the payment described by the transfer policy. Only IPPS hospitals are subject to this policy.

Because the transfer of a patient from one acute care setting to another occurs when the patient can’t receive the medically necessary services at the admitting hospital, this type of transfer involves more communication by physicians. Clinicians responsible for care coordination may be involved in the transfer process from one acute care setting to another. This process requires detailed information regarding responsibilities of the physician and care coordination staff.

For more information, see Discharge Planning Guide: Tools for Compliance, Fourth Edition.

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