Alabama Administrative Code › Title 473 - ALABAMA HOME MEDICAL EQUIPMENT BOARD › Chapter 473-X-4 - INSPECTION STANDARDS › Section 473-X-4-.01 - Inspection Standards

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
(1) Permit Alabama
			 Board of Home Medical Equipment, or its agents, to conduct random on-site
			 inspections to ascertain compliance with rules, regulations and
			 standards.
(2) A Home Medical
			 Equipment Services Provider shall maintain a physical facility on an
			 appropriate site. The facility must contain space for storing business records,
			 including the supplier's delivery, maintenance, and patient records. For
			 purposes of this rule, a residence, post office box or commercial mailbox is
			 not considered a physical facility.
(3) A Home Medical Equipment Services
			 Provider must maintain a primary business telephone listed under the name of
			 the business in a local directory or a toll free number available through
			 directory assistance. The exclusive use of a beeper, answering machine,
			 answering service, or cell phone during posted business hours is
			 prohibited.
(4) The physical
			 facility must be staffed during normal business hours, and must have a visible
			 sign with the name of the business, business hours, and the phone number
			 required by paragraph (3).
(5)
			 Medical equipment shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition and
			 stored in a dry, well-ventilated area. Routine maintenance, preventative
			 maintenance, and repairs shall be performed according to manufacturer's
			 guidelines. The home medical equipment services provider shall provide consumer
			 instruction regarding the use of home medical equipment requiring services.
			 Delivery services include transportation of equipment to and from consumer,
			 equipment setup, and record keeping.
(6) Records shall be maintained to the same
			 extent as required by federal regulations, including, but not limited to, any
			 physician orders, certificates of medical necessity, signed and dated delivery
			 slips, documentation of all services, equipment, and maintenance received, and
			 other information as appropriate for the equipment provided.
(7) License applicants who, upon initial
			 inspection, are found not to comply with applicable licensing standards, shall
			 be notified by the Board office of the areas of noncompliance and shall be
			 re-inspected for compliance upon application and payment of a re-inspection fee
			 of no more than three hundred dollars ($300), as established by the
			 Board.
(8) The Board may conduct
			 random inspections upon the filing of a complaint, application for renewal of a
			 license, for cause, and as otherwise necessary to ensure the integrity and
			 effectiveness of the licensing process. Licensees who fail to pass an
			 inspection related to the filing of a complaint, for cause, upon an application
			 for license renewal or for any other cause must cease and desist their
			 operations upon receipt of written notice of failure to pass inspection until
			 they have come into compliance with all applicable standards, unless the Board
			 negotiates a plan for compliance with the licensee and conducts a further
			 inspection for compliance at a time to be determined by the Board. Licensees
			 subject to re-inspection will be required to remit an additional re-inspection
			 fee of two hundred and fifty dollars ($250).
(9) Upon notice of failure to pass
			 inspection, an applicant or licensee shall have thirty (30) days to appeal the
			 inspection results, or be subject to penalties pursuant to Section  34-14 C-6,
Code of Ala. 1975
. Upon appeal, a provider shall have
			 the right to an inspection review or a new inspection, in accordance with Rule
			 473-X-7-.01.
(10) Fill orders from
			 its own inventory or contract with other companies for the purchase of items to
			 fill orders.
(11) Maintain all
			 applicable City, County, State Business Licenses and all other applicable
			 licensure as required (i.e. State Board of Pharmacy Oxygen Permit.)
(12) If licensee supplies oxygen, mechanical
			 ventilation, or other life sustaining equipment; maintain after hours service
			 necessary to avert an immediate threat to consumers health or safety. Ensure
			 that patients are made aware of service hours and emergency service
			 procedures.
Author:
The Alabama Board of Home Medical
				  Equipment Services Providers
Statutory Authority:
Code of Ala.
				  1975
, § 34-14 C1 thru § 34-14 C8, Act #2000-739, HB 419 of
				  the 2000 Regular Session.