Skilled nursing facility.

I wish I could help with your question. I'm waiting on a response to my question about Medicare coverage for psychiatric care as well. Certainly, some people will have some tips and chime in. I hope so, anyway.

Bumping your question up again. I would think someone would have had experience with your question. If' I'm able to find any info, I'll post or PM you.

bumping up again

what state is mom in?

Bumping

If a person is in a skilled nursing facility for rehabbing a broken leg but also needed treatment for heart condition, you could arrange for a trip to the cardiologist from the SNF. I would assume the same is true for your need but you -- not the SNF -- would have to do it (although my experience is that the SNF's nurse manager will help). I you would have to pay for or handle the transport and/or for the other medical necessity in the typical manner (show your Medicare card or whatever...)

Glo, maybe i misunderstood your question. Are you asking how to get your mom a psychiatric evaluation? Or how to get her into a "bed" in a psychiatric facility? Or something else altogether

At my mom's snf, there is a Behavioral Health team that comes into the facility to do medication and behavioral symptom management. At least in mom's case, they have been spot on and have actually been able to reduce some of the anxiety meds she was on by switching to melatonin at night. In fact, in IL and ALs mom was in, there was always on site psych services.

As for medical transport, Medicare does not cover that. Medicaid does, im told. A recent trip to the dermatologist ( 10 minutes away) was $150.

Thank you all for your interest, Mom is in Arkansas and she is there for rehab for a broken leg but also has ALZ and was switched from the rehab wing to the ALZ wing because she was disturbing the other residents with yelling and screaming all the day long and night. She has done that for a while even when she was at home before the fall.
The NH sid she can only get the rehab while in a skilled bed then when that is all paid out she can get mental help and that is because they say Medicare will only pay for one code at a time. There is all kinds of Mental help for the elderly and I thought it would be good as to help her with the rehab in getting her to pay more attention and not just let the therapists do all the work in moving her arms and legs.

Now she will have to learn to walk again and her 100 days are almost up and if she gets an extension medicare will pay only 80% so we will have to come up with the other 20 which is 161.00 a day. She does not qualify for Medicaid. The NH won't give her anything at night to help her sleep, I have begged them to but they say they don't want to over medicate her and she has always proven to be more relaxed after a good night sleep. This is the only NH in the area that has Long Term Care beds so I don't have much choice.
Many Blessings!
Glodeo