Failure to Arrange Transportation for Outside Podiatry Appointments
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure transportation was adequately arranged for an insured resident’s outside podiatry appointments. The resident was admitted with Parkinson’s disease, muscle weakness, and a cognitive communication deficit, but the admission MDS showed intact cognition. Physician orders documented podiatry appointments on 12/04/25 at 11:15 A.M. and 01/08/26 at 2:15 P.M., and the resident was covered by an Ohio managed Medicaid plan that, per facility transportation guidelines, required transportation to be scheduled at least two days in advance and allowed up to 30 round trips per year. Despite these provisions, the insurance transportation representative reported that no transportation had been set up for any past or future appointments for this resident. The resident reported missing two appointments because the facility did not set up transportation in a timely manner. Outside office staff stated the resident was a no-show to multiple appointments due to transportation issues and that facility staff did not call to cancel or reschedule. The NP reported she was not notified of any missed appointments and confirmed transportation was a problem. The RN unit manager stated that confirmation for transport had been sent to the resident’s phone, but the resident reported his phone had been broken for two years and he could not receive texts. The RN unit manager confirmed the resident was not transported to the 01/08/26 appointment due to transportation issues. Facility transportation guidelines also indicated that routine or unrelated appointments should be canceled or rescheduled during a skilled stay, and that certain Medicare transports without secondary insurance would be billed to the resident at booking, but there was no evidence these guidelines were effectively implemented to ensure the resident’s ordered podiatry appointments were supported with appropriate transportation.
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