Delayed Refund of Prepaid Fees After Resident Discharge
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to refund a discharged resident's prepaid fees within the 30-day timeframe specified in the admission packet. Record review showed that a resident, who was cognitively intact and had diagnoses including benign neoplasm of cerebral meninges and hemiplegia, prepaid for services but was discharged before the end of the paid period. Despite the facility's policy to issue refunds within 30 days of discharge, the refund request was not processed in a timely manner. Documentation revealed that the refund was not issued until 73 days past the required 30-day period. The delay was attributed to issues with the facility's new accounts payable software, which caused the refund request to be overlooked. The administrator confirmed that the refund was owed and acknowledged the delay, noting that the system did not catch the refund in a timely manner. The resident's family member reported having to contact the facility multiple times before the refund was finally issued.