Timing for Certification and Recertification for a Beneficiary

20.2 - Timing for Certification and Recertification for a Beneficiary Admitted Before Entitlement (Rev. 1, 09-11-02) If an individual is admitted to a hospital (including a psychiatric hospital) before he/she is entitled to hospital insurance benefits (for example, before attainment of age 65), no certification is required as of the date of admission or entitlement. Certifications and recertifications are required as of the time they would be required if the patient had been admitted to the hospital on the day he/she became entitled. (The time limits for certification and recertification are computed from the date of entitlement instead of the date of admission.)