Facility-Initiated Discharges in Nursing Homes Require Further Attention

Date Issued

Thursday, November 18, 2021

Submitting OIG

Department of Health & Human Services OIG

Other Participating OIGs

Department of Health & Human Services OIG

Agencies Reviewed/Investigated

Department of Health & Human Services

Report Number

OEI-01-18-00250

Report Type

Inspection / Evaluation

Number of Recommendations

Questioned Costs

Funds for Better Use

Open Recommendations

This report has 7 open recommendations.

Recommendation Number	Significant Recommendation	Recommended Questioned Costs	Recommended Funds for Better Use
7002	No	$0	$0
CMS should provide training for nursing homes on Federal requirements for facility-initiated discharge notices.
7003	No	$0	$0
CMS should assess the effectiveness of its enforcement of inappropriate facility-initiated discharges.
7004	No	$0	$0
CMS should implement its deferred initiatives to address inappropriate facility-initiated discharges.
7005	No	$0	$0
ACL should assist State Ombudsman programs in establishing a data-collection system for facility-initiated discharge notices
7006	No	$0	$0
ACL should establish guidance for analysis and reporting of data collected by State Ombudsman programs from facility-initiated discharge notices.
7007	No	$0	$0
ACL and CMS should coordinate to strengthen safeguards to protect nursing home residents from inappropriate facility-initiated discharges.
7008	No	$0	$0
ACL and CMS should ensure that all State Ombudsmen, State agencies, and CMS ROs have an ongoing venue to share information about facility-initiated discharges and potentially other systemic problems in nursing homes.