CMS Proposed Rule Would Expand Patient Notification - February 9, 2011

On Feb. 2, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that would expand the obligations of providers to notify Medicare patients of their right to file written complaints regarding the quality of care they have received. The rule would also impose additional requirements on certain providers, including hospitals, hospices, comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities, clinics and rehabilitation agencies and portable x-ray services, to inform Medicare beneficiaries about similar State agency contact information. This rule would be an expansion on Medicare providers’ existing obligations, which currently only require notification of reporting rights for patients who are admitted to hospitals as inpatients. Comments on the proposed rule are due by April 3.