Inpatient Services & Hospital Classifications

How does Medicare define inpatient services?

As an admission to a hospital by a doctor's order to treat an illness or injury, involving an overnight stay

What is the difference between general hospitals and specialty hospitals?

General hospitals provide many different types of services to meet general population needs, while specialty hospitals focus on a specific disease or target population (e.g., psychiatric, children's, rehabilitation).

How are short-stay (acute care) hospitals classified by Length of Stay (LOS)?

An average length of stay of less than 30 days

How are long-term care, rehabilitation, and chronic disease hospitals classified by LOS?

An average length of stay of more than 30 days

What distinguishes teaching hospitals from academic medical centers?

Teaching hospitals have one or more graduate resident programs, whereas academic medical centers are formally organized around a medical school

What are safety net hospitals?

Hospitals that provide significantly more charitable care than others

What is the primary focus of osteopathic hospitals?

They focus more on holistic health.

What is a health network?

A group of hospitals, physicians, insurers, and other providers that work together to provide services to a community.