Are beneficiaries that are tube fed always considered skilled patients? Do they ever receive another benefit period?
Enteral feedings that comprise at least 26 percent of daily calorie requirements and provide at least 501 milliliters of fluid per day are considered a direct skilled nursing service. As long as the beneficiary continues to receive enteral feedings that comprise at least 26 percent of daily calories and 501 milliliters of fluid per day, they are considered skilled. If the beneficiary remains in the skilled nursing facility and continues to meet the tube feeding requirements, they will exhaust their 100 benefit days and will not be able to start another benefit period until 60 consecutive days have passed during which he/she is not an inpatient of the SNF or the feeding requirements drop below the skilled level of care requirements for 60 consecutive days.
Enteral feedings that comprise at least 26 percent of daily calorie requirements and provide at least 501 milliliters of fluid per day are considered a direct skilled nursing service. As long as the beneficiary continues to receive enteral feedings that comprise at least 26 percent of daily calories and 501 milliliters of fluid per day, they are considered skilled. If the beneficiary remains in the skilled nursing facility and continues to meet the tube feeding requirements, they will exhaust their 100 benefit days and will not be able to start another benefit period until 60 consecutive days have passed during which he/she is not an inpatient of the SNF.
