B. Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) services
A patient no longer in need of intensive hospital care may still require daily skilled nursing or rehabilitation services which, as a practical matter, can only be provided in an SNF. The Hospital Insurance program will pay for these services if they are provided in Medicare participating SNFs. Generally, the patient must be admitted within 30 days after discharge from a qualifying 3-day hospital stay (see HI 00601.130 ).
In each benefit period the hospital insurance plan pays for all covered services provided in a participating SNF during the first 20 days and all but daily coinsurance amount which consists of one-eighth of the inpatient hospital deductibles for up to 80 additional days. (See HI 00601.480 ).