§ 1395e. Deductibles and coinsurance

(a) Inpatient hospital services; outpatient hospital diagnostic services; blood; post-hospital extended care services

(1) The amount payable for inpatient hospital services or inpatient critical access hospital services furnished an individual during any spell of illness shall be reduced by a deduction equal to the inpatient hospital deductible or, if less, the charges imposed with respect to such individual for such services, except that, if the customary charges for such services are greater than the charges so imposed, such customary charges shall be considered to be the charges so imposed. Such amount shall be further reduced by a coinsurance amount equal to—

(A) one-fourth of the inpatient hospital deductible for each day (before the 91st day) on which such individual is furnished such services during such spell of illness after such services have been furnished to him for 60 days during such spell; and

(B) one-half of the inpatient hospital deductible for each day (before the day following the last day for which such individual is entitled under section 1395d (a)(1) of this title to have payment made on his behalf for inpatient hospital services or inpatient critical access hospital services during such spell of illness) on which such individual is furnished such services during such spell of illness after such services have been furnished to him for 90 days during such spell;

except that the reduction under this sentence for any day shall not exceed the charges imposed for that day with respect to such individual for such services (and for this purpose, if the customary charges for such services are greater than the charges so imposed, such customary charges shall be considered to be the charges so imposed).

(2)

(A) The amount payable to any provider of services under this part for services furnished an individual shall be further reduced by a deduction equal to the expenses incurred for the first three pints of whole blood (or equivalent quantities of packed red blood cells, as defined under regulations) furnished to the individual during each calendar year, except that such deductible for such blood shall in accordance with regulations be appropriately reduced to the extent that there has been a replacement of such blood (or equivalent quantities of packed red blood cells, as so defined); and for such purposes blood (or equivalent quantities of packed red blood cells, as so defined) furnished such individual shall be deemed replaced when the institution or other person furnishing such blood (or such equivalent quantities of packed red blood cells, as so defined) is given one pint of blood for each pint of blood (or equivalent quantities of packed red blood cells, as so defined) furnished such individual with respect to which a deduction is made under this sentence.

(B) The deductible under subparagraph (A) for blood or blood cells furnished an individual in a year shall be reduced to the extent that a deductible has been imposed under section 1395l (b) of this title to blood or blood cells furnished the individual in the year.

(3) The amount payable for post-hospital extended care services furnished an individual during any spell of illness shall be reduced by a coinsurance amount equal to one-eighth of the inpatient hospital deductible for each day (before the 101st day) on which he is furnished such services after such services have been furnished to him for 20 days during such spell.

(4)

(A) The amount payable for hospice care shall be reduced—

(i) in the case of drugs and biologicals provided on an outpatient basis by (or under arrangements made by) the hospice program, by a coinsurance amount equal to an amount (not to exceed $5 per prescription) determined in accordance with a drug copayment schedule (established by the hospice program) which is related to, and approximates 5 percent of, the cost of the drug or biological to the program, and

(ii) in the case of respite care provided by (or under arrangements made by) the hospice program, by a coinsurance amount equal to 5 percent of the amount estimated by the hospice program (in accordance with regulations of the Secretary) to be equal to the amount of payment under section 1395f (i) of this title to that program for respite care;

except that the total of the coinsurance required under clause (ii) for an individual may not exceed for a hospice coinsurance period the inpatient hospital deductible applicable for the year in which the period began. For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “hospice coinsurance period” means, for an individual, a period of consecutive days beginning with the first day for which an election under section 1395d (d) of this title is in effect for the individual and ending with the close of the first period of 14 consecutive days on each of which such an election is not in effect for the individual.

(B) During the period of an election by an individual under section 1395d (d)(1) of this title, no copayments or deductibles other than those under subparagraph (A) shall apply with respect to services furnished to such individual which constitute hospice care, regardless of the setting in which such services are furnished.

(b) Inpatient hospital deductible; application

(1) The inpatient hospital deductible for 1987 shall be $520. The inpatient hospital deductible for any succeeding year shall be an amount equal to the inpatient hospital deductible for the preceding calendar year, changed by the Secretary’s best estimate of the payment-weighted average of the applicable percentage increases (as defined in section 1395ww (b)(3)(B) of this title) which are applied under section 1395ww (d)(3)(A) of this title for discharges in the fiscal year that begins on October 1 of such preceding calendar year, and adjusted to reflect changes in real case mix (determined on the basis of the most recent case mix data available). Any amount determined under the preceding sentence which is not a multiple of $4 shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $4 (or, if it is midway between two multiples of $4, to the next higher multiple of $4).

(2) The Secretary shall promulgate the inpatient hospital deductible and all coinsurance amounts under this section between September 1 and September 15 of the year preceding the year to which they will apply.

(3) The inpatient hospital deductible for a year shall apply to—

(A) the deduction under the first sentence of subsection (a)(1) of this section for the year in which the first day of inpatient hospital services or inpatient critical access hospital services occurs in a spell of illness, and

(B) to the coinsurance amounts under subsection (a) of this section for inpatient hospital services, inpatient critical access hospital services and post-hospital extended care services furnished in that year.

U.S. Code

§ 1395e. Deductibles and coinsurance