Failure to Provide Required Bed-Hold and Transfer/Discharge Notices
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to provide required bed-hold notices and transfer/discharge notices to a resident and/or the resident’s representative at the time of hospital transfers. The resident, admitted on 01/09/2026, had multiple significant diagnoses including nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage, atherosclerotic heart disease, hypertension, aortic valve stenosis, malignant neoplasm of the prostate, dysphagia, gait abnormalities, and cognitive communication deficit. An MDS assessment documented a BIMS score of two, indicating severe cognitive impairment. The resident was transferred to the hospital on 01/16/2026 and again on 02/10/2026, with both transfers resulting in hospital admissions for treatment or observation. Record review showed that the discharge/transfer record dated 01/16/2026 did not contain documentation that a bed-hold notice was provided to the resident or the resident representative at the time of transfer, and there was no progress note related to the 01/16/2026 discharge. A Notice of Medicare Non-Coverage was provided by social services to the responsible party by telephone on 02/09/2026, advising that Medicare coverage would end on 02/11/2026 and that financial liability would begin on 02/12/2026, and informing of appeal rights. However, the transfer documentation dated 02/10/2026 only reflected clinical and communication information sent to the hospital and did not show that a written notice of transfer or discharge was provided to the resident or representative at the time of that hospital transfer. Progress notes from 02/10/2026 to 02/12/2026 also lacked documentation that a written discharge notice was issued after the facility determined the resident would not be permitted to return. Further review of the medical record confirmed there was no documentation that bed-hold rights were explained, no bed-hold notice was provided at either the 01/16/2026 or 02/10/2026 transfers, and no signed bed-hold notice was present. The record also lacked any documentation that a transfer/discharge notice was provided to the resident or representative. Interviews with the Administrator and the Regional Business Office Manager established that the facility’s practice was to provide bed-hold notices only to Medicaid residents and not to residents with Medicare or private pay, and the Administrator confirmed that no bed-hold notice was offered or provided in this case and that the bed was not held during hospitalization, leaving no bed available when the resident was ready to return. The DON reported not being knowledgeable about when bed-hold notices should be issued and could not clarify the process followed for the resident’s hospital transfer. Review of the facility’s undated Bed Hold Notice/Policy showed that written information about bed-hold duration, reserve bed payment, and conditions for return was required to be provided to all residents regardless of payment source, with signed and dated acknowledgment, which did not occur for this resident.
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