UB04 Admission Hour Code 03: 03:00 AM - 03:59 AM

Introduction

Admission Hour Code 03 identifies the specific sixty-minute window during which a patient was formally admitted to the facility for inpatient or outpatient services. This code is reported in Field 13: Admission Hour to document that the admission process occurred between 03:00 AM and 03:59 AM.

Usage

This code is utilized by institutional providers, such as hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, to track patient volume and resource utilization during the early morning hours. It is particularly relevant for emergency department transitions or scheduled early-morning surgical admissions where the medical record must reflect the precise hour the physician's admission order was executed.

Billing Impact

While the admission hour itself does not typically change the DRG assignment, it is a required data element for claim processing; an incorrect or missing code can result in a claim rejection or delay in reimbursement.