What is Present on Admission Indicator Reporting ?

A Present on Admission (POA) Indicator is used to identify whether a primary or secondary condition was present at the time the order for inpatient admission occurs. Conditions that develop during an outpatient encounter, including emergency department, observation, or outpatient surgery, are considered present on admission.

For discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2008, hospitals will not receive additional payment for cases in which one of the selected conditions known as, Hospital Acquired Conditions (HACs), are present at the time of admission. The case will be reimbursed as though the secondary diagnosis were not present. Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Long-term Care Hospitals (LTCHs), Cancer Hospitals, Children's Inpatient Facilities, Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitals, Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities, and Veterans Administration/Department of Defense Hospitals are exempt from this payment provision.


The Florida Blue Present on Admission (POA) Indicator requirement applies to both Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems (IPPS) and Non-IPPS Hospitals. A POA indicator should be submitted with all primary and secondary diagnoses codes, regardless of whether the condition is considered a Hospital Acquired Condition (HAC) or not.

If an indicator of “Y” or “W” is submitted with a HAC condition, the major complicating condition or complicating condition (MCC/CC) is included in DRG grouping logic. HAC conditions submitted with an “N” or a “U” will be excluded from DRG grouping impacts. The “U” indicator is subject to specific guidelines with regard to the patient status code before it is excluded from the DRG grouping
process.