Inpatient POA Indicators

 The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 mandated that providers report POA indicators for all diagnoses submitted on Medicare inpatient acute care claims for discharges beginning October 1, 2007.

Present on admission is defined as the conditions present at the time the order for inpatient admission occurs. The POA indicator is intended to differentiate conditions present at the time of admission from those conditions that develop during the inpatient admission.

Providers must report one of five indicators:

• Y = yes (present at the time of inpatient admission)
• N = no (not present at the time of inpatient admission)
• U = unknown (documentation is insufficient to determine if condition was present at the time of admission)
• W = clinically undetermined (provider is unable to clinically determine whether condition was present on admission)
• 1 (on electronic claims) or blank (for paper claims) = exempt from POA reporting