This bill, Minnesota Senate File No. 1861, proposes amendments to Minnesota Statutes section 144.562, subdivision 3, which governs the licensing conditions for hospital swing beds—beds in hospitals that can be used for both acute care and post-acute skilled nursing facility care.

Key Changes in the Bill:

1. Approval of Swing Bed Licenses

   • The Commissioner of Health must approve a swing bed license condition if the hospital meets the specified eligibility criteria and complies with Medicare conditions for swing beds.

2. Length of Stay Limitation

   • Generally, hospitals must limit a patient’s stay in a swing bed to 40 days or the duration of Medicare eligibility, unless an emergency extension is approved.
     
   • Extensions require hospitals to document:
     • The patient’s need for continued care,
     • The unavailability of skilled nursing facility beds within 25 miles, and
     • The lack of alternative care options.
   • Hospitals must apply for an extension at least 10 days before the end of the maximum stay.

3. Admission Restrictions

   • Swing bed admission is limited to:
     1. Patients hospitalized in the facility who have not yet been discharged.
     2. Patients transferred directly from an acute care hospital.

4. Reporting Requirements

   • Hospitals must annually report to the Commissioner of Health:
     • Swing bed readmission rates (within 60 days of discharge),
     • Charges for care and descriptions of services provided,
     • Number of beds used for transitional and subacute care.

5. Utilization Data Reporting

   • Hospitals must submit swing bed utilization statistics, including:
     • Number of swing beds,
     • Admissions and discharges,
     • Medicare-covered patient days,
     • Total patient days,
       
     • Any other data as required.

6. Exemption for Cook County Hospitals

   • Hospitals located in Cook County that:
     1. Are designated as a critical access hospital under Minnesota law and U.S. federal law, and
     2. Have an attached nursing home,
        Are exempt from:
     3. The 40-day stay limit,
     4. The hospitalization requirement before admission.
   • These swing beds may be used for nursing facility services without requiring a prior hospital stay.
   • Services provided qualify for Medical Assistance reimbursement under chapter 256B and 256R.

Summary:

This bill modifies license conditions for hospital swing beds in Minnesota by clarifying length-of-stay limits, admission requirements, and reporting obligations. However, hospitals in Cook County that meet certain criteria are exempt from these restrictions, allowing them greater flexibility in using swing beds for nursing facility services with Medical Assistance reimbursement eligibility.