Question:
Can you provide guidelines related to assignment of the POA indicator on Medicare claims?
Answer:
The “UB-04 Data Specifications Manual” and “Official Guidelines” can help you assign the present-on-admission (POA) indicator for each “principal” diagnosis and “other” ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes reported on the UB-04 (paper claims) and ASC X12N 837 Institutional (837I) (electronic transmissions).
More information about the “UB-04 Data Specifications Manual” can be found at http://www.nubc.org/. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) emphasize that the manual is not intended to replace any guidelines in the main body of the “Official Guidelines” or provide guidance on when to report a condition. It simply provides information on how to apply the POA indicator to the diagnosis codes assigned.