UB04 Admission Hour Code 17: 05:00 PM - 05:59 PM

Introduction

Admission Hour Code 17 indicates that a patient was formally admitted to the facility between the hours of 05:00 PM and 05:59 PM. This code is reported in Field 13: Admission Hour to document the specific time of day the inpatient stay or outpatient service began.

Usage

This code is used by institutional providers, such as hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, to track patient volume and resource utilization during the late afternoon shift. It applies to all inpatient admissions and specific outpatient observations where the time of arrival is a required data element for the claim.

Billing Impact

While the hour itself does not typically change the DRG assignment, accurate reporting is essential for audit trails and to ensure the admission hour aligns with the medical necessity of the services rendered on the first day of care.