Failure to Submit Demand Bill to Medicare
Summary
The facility staff failed to submit a demand bill to Medicare as requested by two residents, identified as R4 and R36, on the Skilled Nursing Facility Advance Beneficiary Notice (SNF ABN) forms. Both residents had selected option 1 on the SNF ABN, indicating their desire for Medicare to be billed for a coverage decision. Despite this selection, the facility did not continue skilled therapy services or submit claims to Medicare for these residents, as confirmed by the business office manager (BOM) and therapy manager. Resident R4 was receiving skilled therapy services from late November to late December 2023, and was issued a Notice of Medicare Non-Coverage (NOMNC) and SNF ABN on December 19, 2023. Similarly, Resident R36 was receiving skilled care with Medicare as the primary payer from late November 2023 to early January 2024, and was issued the same notices on January 8, 2024. Both residents selected the option to have Medicare billed, but the facility did not follow through with the billing process, as confirmed by the BOM and therapy manager. Interviews with the social worker (SW) and therapy manager revealed a lack of communication and understanding of the process following a resident's selection on the SNF ABN form. The SW indicated that once the forms were uploaded into the system, no further action was taken to notify relevant departments about the residents' selections. The therapy manager confirmed that therapy services did not continue after the skilled services ended, as there was no notification of a demand bill request. The facility's policy and CMS instructions clearly state that when a resident selects option 1, the SNF must submit a claim to Medicare, which was not done in these cases.
Penalty
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