Failure to Provide Required Notice of Medicare Non-Coverage to Discharged Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide required notice to residents and/or their representatives regarding changes in Medicare Part A coverage, specifically the delivery of the Notice of Medicare Non-Coverage (NOMNC) form. For three residents who were discharged from a Medicare-covered Part A stay with benefit days remaining, there was no evidence in the records that the NOMNC form was issued prior to discharge. The last covered day of Medicare Part A services and the discharge date for each resident were reviewed, and in each case, documentation of the NOMNC form was absent. Interviews with facility staff confirmed the deficiency. The Minimum Data Set Coordinator acknowledged that the NOMNC forms were not provided to the affected residents and stated she was unaware that the form was required even when the resident agreed with the discharge. The Administrator was also unable to provide evidence that the NOMNC forms had been issued for the residents in question.