[20010416]RS20386_医疗保险的熟练护理设施福利.pdf

1 A spell of illness is that period which begins when a beneficiary is furnished inpatient hospital orcovered SNF care and ends when the beneficiary has not been an inpatient of a hospital or in a PartA covered SNF stay for 60 consecutive days. A beneficiary may have more than one spell of(continued.)Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS WebOrder Code RS20386Updated April 16, 2001Medicares Skilled Nursing Facility BenefitHeidi G. YackerInformation Research SpecialistInformation Research DivisionSummaryDuring much of the 1990s, skilled nursing facility (SNF) care under Medicare hadbeen one of the programs fastest growing benefits, increasing from $2.5 billion in 1990to $13.5 billion in 1998. In an effort to control this growth, Congress, in the BalancedBudget Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-33, BBA 97), established a prospective payment system(PPS) for SNF benefits. BBA 97 also enacted a consolidated billing system under whichSNFs bill Medicare for all services provided to beneficiaries. As a result of severalfactors, including BBA 97 program changes, Medicare spending for SNF care droppedby an unexpected 12.6% in 1999. Some obse