Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) covers medically necessary care you receive in an inpatient rehabilitation center or unit (sometimes referred to as a “rehabilitation center,” IRF, intensive care rehabilitation center, or inpatient rehabilitation hospital). You may not need a minimum 3-day hospital stay if your doctor is involved in a responsible care organization or other type of Medicare initiative that has approved an exemption from the three-day rule in a skilled nursing facility. Medicare pays for inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation care that is medically necessary after a debilitating illness, injury, or surgery. People need inpatient rehabilitation care when they require higher levels of specialized care than another facility, such as an SNF, can't toast.
A doctor will need to verify that the beneficiary needs rehabilitation, ongoing supervision, and coordination of multidisciplinary care for a medical condition. Inpatient rehabilitation can help if you are recovering from serious surgery, illness or injury and need an intensive rehabilitation therapy program, the supervision of a doctor and the coordinated care of your doctors, other health professionals and therapists. Your doctor must certify that you have a medical condition that requires intensive rehabilitation, ongoing medical supervision, and coordinated care from your doctors, other health care providers, and therapists. If a person pays for room and board costs or doesn't qualify for Part A coverage, Medicare may pay for Part B specialized therapy services instead of Part A.
Medicare coverage rules for outpatient therapy do not apply if you are receiving therapy as part of an SNF stay covered by Medicare or if you receive home health care covered by Medicare Home health care home health care is care provided at home to treat an illness or injury. For Medicare to approve home care, the Medicare beneficiary must have developed a plan of care during an in-person consultation with a doctor. You don't have to pay a deductible for inpatient rehabilitation care if Medicare already charged you a deductible for care you received in a previous hospitalization within the same benefit period.
