CMS clarifies pause on LTCH policy

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently confirmed that Medicare contractors will not calculate an average length of stay for long-term care hospitals for cost reporting periods that include the COVID-19 public health emergency, which took effect March 1.

In April, CMS implemented a blanket waiver of the LTCH policy requiring an average length of stay of greater than 25 days. Contractors will resume evaluating compliance with the policy for the first cost reporting period that does not include the public health emergency.