Delayed Refund Issuance After Resident Discharge
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to issue a refund of $1,752.00 to the responsible party of a resident within 30 days of the resident's discharge. The resident, who had diagnoses including hemiplegia, hemiparesis, and prostate cancer, was discharged on 2/19/2025. The business office manager (BOM) identified that the resident's share of cost had decreased, resulting in a credit, but the refund was not processed in a timely manner. The BOM explained that the payment for February was incorrectly posted to June, and after an audit, the funds were correctly allocated. However, the refund process was delayed because the BOM overlooked the credit after the books were closed, and the refund was not expedited as required. Interviews with facility staff revealed a lack of a standard policy or timeframe for issuing refunds after discharge. The administrator and director of nursing confirmed that there was no established procedure for timely refunds, and the business office only conducted audits as needed. The responsible party was notified of the refund after the audit, but the delay in processing was attributed to oversight and the absence of a clear policy, resulting in the responsible party not receiving the refund within the required timeframe.