This definition includes all babies who are nine days old or less. However, all newborn days of stay are further divided into categories of qualified and unqualified for Australian Healthcare Agreements and health insurance benefit purposes. A newborn day is acute (qualified) when a newborn meets at least one of the following criteria:
- is the second or subsequent live born infant of a multiple birth, whose mother is currently an admitted patient;
- is admitted to an intensive care facility in a hospital, being a facility approved by the Commonwealth Health Minister for the purpose of the provision of special care;
- remains in hospital without its mother;
- is admitted to the hospital without its mother.

Acute (qualified) newborn days are eligible for health insurance benefit purposes and should be counted under the Australian Healthcare Agreements.

Days when the newborn does not meet these criteria are classified as unqualified (if they are nine days old or less) and should be recorded as such.  Unqualified newborn days should not be counted under the Australian Healthcare Agreements and are not eligible for health insurance benefit purposes.

PATIENTS IN ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY AND OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENTS
Patients attending these locations in a recognised hospital who come for a procedure that is classified as a day benefit procedure (in other words, they meet the criteria for admission) should be formally admitted.  

TIME AT HOSPITAL
The length of time a patient spends in areas such as Outpatients or Accident and Emergency, is no indication of the need to admit the patient.  Admission is allowed only on the basis that the medical practitioner wants the patient admitted and the patient meets one of the criteria listed in the policy.  The concept of 'four hours' does not apply.  The patient should be admitted at the time indicated by the medical practitioner, not at the time the patient arrived in Outpatients or Accident and Emergency.