Type of health care given when a patient needs skilled nursing or rehabilitation staff to manage, observe, and evaluate the care such as injections, catheterizations, and dressing changes.

Inpatient 24-hour nursing care, rehabilitative services, and related health services for patients who need continuous medical care but do not need acute nursing care. This care can only be performed safely and correctly by either a licensed registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse. Procedures and treatments include injections, administration of medications, changing of dressings, and observation and monitoring of a patient’s condition including taking vital signs.
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Daily nursing and rehabilitative care that is performed only by or under the supervision of skilled professional or technical personnel. Skilled care includes administering medication, medical diagnosis and minor surgery.

Commonly pronounced “sniff.” 1. Setting, either part of a facility or distinct from it, that provides inpatient 24-hour nursing and related health services for patients who need continuous medical care or rehabilitation services. Patients in need of SNF care may have a condition that is acute, chronic, or terminal and it makes no difference. It is considered to be more cost-effective than an extended hospital stay. Formerly called extended care facility (ECF) before 1972 when the Social Security statute was amended and SNF was introduced. 2. Under the Medicaid program, this is known as a nursing facility (NF) . Medicaid also has a separate category of intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded. 3. Under the Medicare program, a SNF is staffed and equipped to give intensive nursing and rehabilitative care by registered and licensed nurses or licensed therapists under the supervision of a physician. SNFs must be certified by Medicare and there are specific requirements for admission, certain covered benefits, and a period of coverage. Inpatient SNF, known as extended care services , is given to a patient in a SNF up to 100 days of each spell of illness, depending on the patient’s condition.

In Medicare, for the 21st through 100th day of extended care services in a benefit period, a daily amount for which the beneficiary is responsible, equal to one eighth of the inpatient hospital deductible. Also called SNF coinsurance .

Level of care that requires the daily involvement of skilled nursing or rehabilitation staff and cannot be provided on an outpatient basis such as intravenous injections and physical therapy.

Alternate name for extended care services .

Slang expression that means the practice of removing the youngest and healthiest people from a pool of insurance applicants so that they get coverage at the best rates. The remaining group of older, sicker patients and those of questionable health status will be denied coverage or must pay higher rates.

One of two basic types of traction used in orthopedics for the treatment of fractured bones and to correct orthopedic abnormalities. Felt or adhesive and nonadhesive straps are applied directly to the skin, and traction is used to pull the skin surrounding the structure.