On Aug. 4, CHA sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) urging the agency to issue interpretive guidelines on the discharge planning requirements for short-term acute care hospitals, critical access hospitals, long-term care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, inpatient psychiatric facilities, and home health agencies.
The requirements were finalized in a 2019 rule, and several have been waived for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
In the letter, CHA asks CMS to address providers’ questions on compliance as hospitals prepare for the expiration of these waivers, including the discharge planning process and selection of a post-acute care (PAC) provider, and requirements related to available PAC services. CHA also provides CMS with input on the ongoing implementation of the discharge planning requirements.