Long-term care providers should check their form notice of discharge to ensure that it complies with the new requirements sent forth in 42 C.F.R. § 483.15. The updates to this regulation were effective November 28, 2016.
42 C.F.R. § 483.15(c)(3) now requires that “The facility must send a copy of the notice to a representative of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.” (emphasis added). Many facilities are used to interacting with their local/county ombudsman and may think that they should copy the local ombudsman. However, a facility must ensure to copy it’s state Long- Term Care Ombudsman.
Pennsylvania facilities must send a copy of the discharge notice to:
Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Pennsylvania Department of Aging
555 Walnut Street, 5th floor
Harrisburg, PA 17101-1919
(717) 783-8975
If you have additional questions, or need assistance in defending a discharge notice appeal, please contact Danielle Dietrich via email or Twitter at @DLDietrich.