Level of Severity

Physician advisor reviews a lower level of severity determination after engaging in a severity discussion.

Case Study: High Severity Reimbursement Approved Following Severity Discussion

Case Study, Level of Care / By

THE CHALLENGE Last year, several payers implemented or announced some tactical changes in their provider reimbursement policies. The providers took a hit with these evaluation and management (E/M) downcoding programs, resulting in lower-tier payments to providers if the payers disagreed with the severity of the patients’ illnesses. Regulatory review has sidelined the rollout of some […]

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For hospitals, high-level severity denials are a major challenge resulting in increased administrative, clinical and financial burdens.

Case Study: Underpayment Determination Reversed Following Severity Discussion

Case Study, Level of Care, Two-Midnight Rule / By

THE CHALLENGE For hospitals, high-level severity denials are a major challenge resulting in increased administrative, clinical and financial burdens. One major concern is the dodging of the Two-Midnight rule, which was finalized under CMS-4201-F in April of 2023. The Two-Midnight rule sets the precedent that patients are appropriate for inpatient admission if the admitting physician

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Case study reviews level of care severity

Case Study: Inpatient Level of Care Payment Review Reversed After Peer-to-Peer

Case Study, Level of Care, Peer-to-Peer / By

THE CHALLENGE Many hospitals and health systems have been forced to navigate a new payer tactic that does not result in a formal denial of inpatient (IP) level of care (LOC). Instead, the payer affirms that IP admission was medically necessary, but reimbursement is reduced due to a perceived lack of severity for the billed

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payment policy for hospitals balancing cost and care

Understanding Aetna’s New Level of Severity Inpatient Payment Policy

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Hospitals and health systems across the country are preparing for a significant shift in how Aetna reimburses certain inpatient stays. Aetna’s Level of Severity Inpatient Payment Policy, which went into effect January 1, 2026, (updated from the original effective date of November 15, 2025) introduced a new framework for evaluating and reimbursing urgent or emerging

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