Understanding Medicare and Medicaid Bed-Hold Policies and Readmission Rights

1. Medicare Law on Bed-Hold Policies: Medicare does not provide for holding beds for patients who are hospitalized or out on therapeutic leave, unlike Medicaid. This implies that if a Medicare beneficiary is temporarily transferred to a hospital, their place in the nursing facility is not guaranteed to be held open for them.
2. Medicaid and Bed-Hold Policies: In contrast, Medicaid has provisions for bed-hold policies. Nursing facilities are required to inform the resident and their family member or legal representative in writing about the facility's bed-hold policies when a resident is transferred to a hospital or goes on therapeutic leave.
3. Medicare Law on Readmission: The Medicare law does not guarantee readmission rights for a Medicare beneficiary who is hospitalized. This suggests that readmission to the same nursing facility is not assured for Medicare beneficiaries after hospitalization.

For more detailed information or specific guidelines, it would be necessary to consult the Medicare and Medicaid manuals or official resources. If you have further questions or need more assistance, please feel free to ask.