What are the exceptions to the 48-hour scope of appointment rule?

Asked by: Marianna Hagenes  |  Last update: February 13, 2025
Score: 5/5 (54 votes)

There are two exceptions to the 48 hour rule; the 48 hour rule is waived if a beneficiary is in the last 4 days of their valid enrollment period or if they are an in-person walk-in appointment.

What are the exceptions to the 48-hour rule?

Exceptions to the 48-Hour Rule

SOAs that are completed during the last four days of a valid election period (AEP, ICEP, IEP, SEP, MA OEP, etc.) for the beneficiary. Unscheduled in person meetings (walk-ins) initiated by the beneficiary, including inbound calls.

What is the new 48-hour rule for Medicare?

Understanding Medicare's Scope of Appointment and the New 48-Hour Rule. Whether you're working with a Medicare agent in person, virtually, or over the phone, you need to schedule your Medicare consultation at least 48 hours after signing your Scope of Appointment (SOA).

What are the rules for scope of appointment for Medicare 2024?

CMS 2024 Final Rule: 48-hour window

The 48-hour SOA rule has returned. The guidelines require a minimum 48-hour window between a Scope of Appointment form being completed and an appointment taking place with exceptions for beneficiary initiated walk-ins and the end of a valid enrollment period.

What are the exceptions to the SOA 48 hour rule?

The two exceptions are for (1) SOAs completed during the last 4 days of a valid election period and (2) unscheduled in-person visits (walk-ins) initiated by the beneficiary.

New 48 Hour Scope of Appointment Rule

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What is the 48 hour scope of appointment?

The rule, in a nutshell

Simply put, you must get a signed Scope of Appointment at least 48 hours before your appointment. And, that is a literal 48 hours. If you collect a signed Scope at noon on Tuesday, you can't have an appointment any earlier than noon on Thursday.

What is the 48-hour observation rule for Medicare?

Observation stays not converted to inpatient status are limited to 48 hours; ancillary services beyond this limit can be billed separately. Services leading to inpatient admission on the same day are included in the first-day rate; those on the prior day can be billed as outpatient services within the 48-hour limit.

What is the CMS final rule for scope of appointment?

When do Medicare agents need to collect a Scope of Appointment form from a beneficiary? Per the CMS Final Rule 2024 (opens in a new window), all Scope of Appointment forms must be gathered at least 48 hours before the appointment — and this time limit should be taken literally.

What is the 48-hour rule federal?

A judicial determination made within 48 hours after the arrest is presumably prompt, unless the person under arrest demonstrates unreasonable delay. If the determination is not made within 48 hours, the government bears the burden to demonstrate extraordinary circumstances to justify the delay.

In which setting is a scope of appointment not required?

If the meeting was set up as an in-person appointment, a scope of appointment is required. If the meeting is advertised as a sales event open to the general public, a scope of appointment form is not required.

When should a scope of appointment be obtained?

Agents must obtain a scope of appointment no less than 48 hours prior to presenting and enrolling a beneficiary into a plan. There are two exceptions to the 48 hour rule; the 48 hour rule is waived if a beneficiary is in the last 4 days of their valid enrollment period or if they are an in-person walk-in appointment.

Can you do a verbal scope of appointment?

During the pandemic, in-person meetings to discuss coverage options were no longer feasible, leading many agents to conduct appointments over the phone. As a result, recorded verbal Scope of Appointment (SOA) agreements became a common practice during this period.

What is the 48hr rule?

In general, it is recommended that any staff member or child with diarrhoea and/or vomiting symptoms must stay away or be excluded from the school or early years setting until they have been free of symptoms for 48 hours (the '48 hour rule') and feel well.

How does the 48 hour rule work?

The 48-hour rule stipulates that the seller of an MBS notifies the buyer with the details of the underlying mortgages that make up the MBS by 3 p.m. Eastern Time, 48 hours before the settlement date. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) enforces the 48-hour rule.

What is the 48 hour break clause?

In general, this type of contingency allows a seller to continue to market the home to other potential buyers, with the stipulation that the buyer will be given the opportunity to remove the sale and settlement contingency within a specified period (typically 24-48 hours) if the seller receives another offer.

In which of these situations must a scope of appointment form be collected at least 48 hours prior to the interaction between the agent and the beneficiary?

If a sales agent is approached by a beneficiary at a sales/marketing event and the beneficiary indicates that they want to be enrolled into a plan, the agent must collect a valid SOA and can schedule a personal sales/marketing appointment to occur at least 48 hours after obtaining the SOA.

What are some of the exceptions to the requirement of having the SOA 48 hour rule?

One exception to the rule is during the last four days of a valid election period. During this time, agents are permitted to get a same day Scope. The second exception is when the beneficiary walks into the agent's office without a scheduled appointment.

What is the 48 hour documentation rule for CMS?

Compliance Tips: Medicare has clearly stated that “reasonable” means 24 to 48 hours. Understand that anything beyond 48 hours could be considered unreasonable. Providers should comply with this requirement and complete documentation in a timely manner.

What is the 48 hour rule in relationships?

Use the 48-hour rule.

If your partner does something hurtful or that makes you angry, it's important to communicate it. If you aren't sure that you want to bring something up, try waiting 48 hours. If it's still bothering you, let them know.

What are the observation guidelines for 2024?

For 2024 both Medicare and CPT have an 8-hour minimum for physicians reporting the observation same-day-discharge codes 99234-99236 as well as observation stays that cross midnight. CPT lists time in minutes that a practitioner needs to meet or exceed to report professional observation services.

What are the exceptions to the Medicare 72 hour rule?

There are a few exceptions to Medicare's policy cited below: Clinically unrelated services are not subject to the three-day window policy, if the hospital can attest that the services are distinct or independent from a patient's admission. Ambulance services and maintenance renal dialysis services are also excluded.

When must the scope of appointment be obtained?

The CMS Scope of Appointment rule doesn't differentiate between current and prospective clients. You must collect an SOA before appointments with both current and prospective clients.

What is the difference between schedule of work and scope of work?

Simply put, the scope is the WHAT in breadth and depth. The schedule provides additional dimensions, including WHEN WHO and HOW MUCH.

What is the scope of appointment rules for 2025?

Medicare scope of appointment rules. The Medicare SOA rules 2025 are put in place by CMS. The SOA (scope of appointment) is a form clients/potential clients as well as agents must complete before meeting to discuss Medicare plans. The SOA is mandatory when discussing either Medicare Advantage or PDP plans.