Appeal type: Inpatient Hospital
Decision: Unfavorable

 
We decided that the Plan does not have to pre-approve acute inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) admission 
and services. 
 
You asked the Plan to pre-approve IRF care. You say that it is medically necessary. The Plan denied your 
request. The Plan says the enrollee does not meet the requirements for approval.  
 
The Plan must follow Medicare rules. The rules say that IRF admission is covered only when it is medically 
reasonable and necessary as described in the Medicare rules section. 
 
We asked our physician reviewer to carefully review the case file and apply the relevant Medicare rules to determine if the Plan was correct in denying the request to pre-approve IRF care. Our reviewer says that the 
requested IRF care is not considered medically reasonable and necessary based on Medicare guidelines. Our 
physician reviewer found rehabilitation therapy services can be delivered in a wide variety of settings across 
the care continuum.  Post-acute settings differ in the types of available rehabilitation therapies, intensity of 
therapy, and the level of medical and nursing support.  Acute inpatient rehabilitation facilities are settings were 
complex medical needs and functional needs combine.  The requirements for admission to an inpatient 
rehabilitation facility (IRF) include a need for 24-hour rehabilitation nursing care, a minimum of three 
physician face-to-face visits per week and a minimum of three hours of therapy daily at least five days per 
week (or at least 15 hours over a seven-consecutive day period).  Additionally, an individual requires multiple 
types of therapies one of which should be physical or occupational therapy. 
In this case, the complexity of the enrollees nursing, medical and rehabilitation needs do not require an acute 
rehab hospital inpatient stay with an interdisciplinary approach to rehabilitation care. 
The enrollee does not require treatment by multiple therapies, including either physical therapy or occupational 
therapy, at an intensive rehabilitation therapy program. 
There is not a reasonable expectation that this individual will be able to fully participate in and benefit from the 
intensive rehabilitation therapy program provided in an inpatient rehabilitation facility. 
The enrollee continues to have a need for skilled therapy with ongoing safety concerns and a potential for 
functional improvement however, the documentation doesnt support that the enrollee would meet criteria for 
admission to an acute inpatient rehabilitation facility.  There is no indication that the enrollee would require 
skilled rehabilitation in an IRF, participating in rehab services 15 hours a week, under the supervision of a 
physician with at least 3 visits weekly to regain or maintain his functional status.  The enrollee can receive 
further services at a lower level of care.  
 
We looked at this physician's review, the file, and Medicare rules. Based on this information, we decided that 
Medicare rules for coverage of IRF care have not been met. Therefore, we decided that the Plan does not have 
to pre-approve acute inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) admission and services.