Ordering a Hospital Bed in Primary Care

Have you tried to get a hospital bed covered through insurance for a patient? If you have, you know the struggle. If you haven't, here is the heads up that it can be a pain. Here are some tips to add to your note that insurance will look for. Add it to start with so it doesn't come back as more busy work for you to fix later. 

Diagnoses that are more likely to get hospital bed covered: COPD, CHF, problems with aspiration 

Include in documentation if applicable: 

• Patient requires frequent body position changes and/or immediate need for a change in body position AND meets one of the following criteria: 
• Patient has medical condition that requires positioning of the body in ways not feasible with an ordinary bed (elevated of head/upper body <30 degrees does not qualify for the bed) OR 
• Patient requires positioning of the body in ways not feasible with an ordinary bed to elevate pain OR 
• Patient requires head of bed to be elevated more than 30 degrees most of the time due to CHF, COPD, or problems with aspiration OR 
• Patient requires traction equipment which can only be attached to a hospital bed 

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