(a) For discharges occurring before October 1, 1997, if the hospital stay reflected by a discharge includes covered days of care beyond the applicable threshold criterion, the intermediary will make an additional payment, on a per diem basis, to the discharging hospital for those days. A special request or submission by the hospital is not necessary to initiate this payment. However, a hospital may request payment for day outliers before the medical review required in paragraph (b) of this section.

(b) The QIO must review and approve to the extent required by CMS—

(1) The medical necessity and appropriateness of the admission and outlier services in the context of the entire stay;

(2) The validity of the diagnostic and procedural coding; and

(3) The granting of grace days.

(c) Except as provided in §412.86, the per diem payment made under paragraph (a) of this section is derived by taking a percentage of the average per diem payment for the applicable DRG, as calculated by dividing the Federal prospective payment rate for inpatient operating costs and inpatient capital-related costs determined under subpart D of this part, by the arithmetic mean length of stay for that DRG. CMS issues the applicable percentage of the average per diem payment in the annual publication of the prospective payment rates in accordance with §412.8(b).

(d) Any days in a covered stay identified as noncovered reduce the number of days reimbursed at the day outlier rate but not to exceed the number of days that occur after the day outlier threshold.

[50 FR 12741, Mar. 29, 1985, as amended at 50 FR 15326, Apr. 17, 1985; 50 FR 35689, Sept. 3, 1985; 53 FR 38529, Sept. 30, 1988; 57 FR 39822, Sept. 1, 1992; 59 FR 45398, Sept. 1, 1994; 62 FR 46028, Aug. 29, 1997]