January 2024
Hospitals Must Provide Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice
Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals are required to give the standardized Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice to our Blue Cross Medicare Advantage℠ members who are under outpatient observation for more than 24 hours. The notice explains why the members aren’t inpatients and what their coverage and cost-sharing obligations will be.
To Complete the MOON
- Download the notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website. Forms in English, Spanish and large print are available.
- Fill in the reason the member is outpatient rather than inpatient.
- Explain the notice verbally to the member if they are in observation more than 24 hours.
- Have the member sign to confirm they received and understand the notice. If the member declines, the staff member who provided the notice must certify that it was presented.
- Document all member communications regarding the MOON process in members’ records.
The notice must be completed no later than 36 hours after observation begins or sooner if the patient is admitted, transferred or released.
Learn more from CMS instructions.
