Wachler & Associates Health Law BlogCMS Proposes Rule Implementing Discharge Planning Requirements
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) recently announced a proposed rule primarily aimed at discharge planning requirements for hospitals and other service providers, including home health agencies (HHAs).
As part of the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (IMPACT), hospitals, other inpatient facilities, and HHAs are required to develop an individual discharge plan for each patient based on a variety of factors, including individual patient needs. The proposed CMS rule would require these facilities and providers to develop discharge plans for patients within 24 hours of either admission or registration, as well as require that those plans be completed before the patient is discharged or transferred to another facility. In addition, providers and facilities would be required to provide discharge instructions to patients, enact a medication reconciliation process, and provide medical records to another facility if the patient is transferred.
As it specifically relates to HHAs, the proposed rule intends to impose several requirements that will affect HHA’s processes for discharging or transferring patients. CMS explained that its purpose for the rule is to “…better prepare patients and caregivers to be active participants in self-care” and to “…focus on person-centered care to increase patient-participation in post-discharge care decision making.” Examples of the proposals that CMS believes will help them reach these goals include, requiring the physician responsible for the home health plan of care to be involved in the ongoing establishment of the discharge plan, require that the discharge plan address the patient’s goals and treatment preferences, require that the evaluation be included in the clinical record and all relevant patient information available to or generated by the HHA to be incorporated into the discharge plan to facilitate its implementation. HHAs and other entities affected by the proposed rule must submit their comments on the proposals by January 4, 2016.
Wachler & Associates will continue to monitor CMS’ proposed rule and other developments regarding the IMPACT Act and discharge planning. If you or your health care entity has any questions regarding compliance with the IMPACT ACT or this proposed rule, please contact an experienced healthcare attorney at 248-544-0888 or via email at wapc@wachler.com. Subscribe to our health law blog to stay updated on the latest CMS news.