What Is a Fast Medicare Appeal?
Short answer
A fast appeal can be available when certain Medicare-covered hospital, skilled nursing facility, home health, CORF or hospice services are ending and you believe they are ending too soon.
Coverage
The applicable notice explains the short deadline and the reviewing organization. In many service-termination cases, the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization handles the expedited review.
Not Automatic
Fast appeals are not the same as every expedited Medicare Advantage or Part D appeal. The service, notice and review process determine which expedited procedure applies.
Practical Example
A beneficiary told that SNF coverage will end may have a much shorter appeal window than a routine claim denial, so the termination notice should be acted on immediately.
Questions to verify
- What service is ending?
- What date and time is the appeal due?
- What medical evidence supports continued coverage?