Benefit period

The Benefit period is the way that Original Medicare calculates your use of Skilled nursing facility (SNF) and hospital services.

• Benefit period starts the day of admission to a hospital or SNF as an inpatient.
• Benefit periods end when people haven’t received any skilled care in a SNF or hospital care for 60 days in a row.
• When people go into a SNF or hospital after 1 benefit period has ended, a new benefit period will start.
• The inpatient hospital Deductible for every benefit period must be paid and there’s no limit to the number of benefit periods.