Your benefit period for hospitalization and skilled nursing facility care:
- It starts the first day you receive a Medicare-covered service as an inpatient in a qualified hospital.
Note: Just because you're in a hospital does not mean you qualify as an inpatient. - It ends when you have been out of a hospital (or other facility that provides skilled nursing or rehab services) for 60 days in a row.
- It also ends if you stay in a facility (other than a hospital) that provides nursing or rehab services, but don't receive any skilled care there for 60 days in a row.
- If you enter a hospital again after 60 days, a new benefit period starts.