New CMS requirement: Hospitals must use Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice

Category: Medicare

 

CMS requires that all hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) provide written notification and an oral explanation to individuals receiving observation services as outpatients for more than 24 hours.

 

Hospitals should use the OMB-approved standardized Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice (MOON), form CMS-10611. All hospitals and CAHs are still required to provide this statutorily required notification. The notice and accompanying instructions are available at https://go.cms.gov/391jZH9.

 

The MOON was developed to inform all Medicare beneficiaries, including Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield members, when they are an outpatient receiving observation services, and are not an inpatient of the hospital or CAH. The notice must include the reasons the individual is an outpatient receiving observation services and the implications of receiving outpatient services, such as required Medicare cost-sharing and post-hospitalization eligibility for Medicare coverage of skilled nursing facility services.

 

Hospitals and CAHs must deliver the notice no later than 36 hours after observation services are initiated or sooner if the individual is transferred, discharged or admitted.

 

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