CHA News

CHA Issues Summary of Discharge Planning Final Rule

For case managers, compliance staff, post-acute providers

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CHA has issued a summary, prepared by Health Policy Alternatives, of the final rule addressing discharge planning requirements for hospitals, critical access hospitals, and post-acute care (PAC) settings. The final rule is effective Nov. 29. 

The rule also finalizes a provision from the “Hospital Innovation” proposed rule addressing a patient’s right to access his or her own medical information from a hospital. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) does not finalize many provisions of the proposed rule, which was originally issued in 2015. In response to feedback from key stakeholders, including CHA, CMS adopts regulations that are less prescriptive and more focused on outcomes than on process details. 

The final rule implements several requirements of the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (IMPACT Act), which mandates that hospitals and PAC providers take into account quality, resource use, and other measures in the discharge planning process and when assisting patients in choosing a PAC provider. 

CMS plans to issue additional clarifications and sub-regulatory guidance in the near future.