Wisconsin Administrative Code › Department of Health Services › DHS 110-199 - Health › Chapter DHS 133 - Home Health Agencies › Section DHS 133.09 - Acceptance and discharge of patients

Current through June 24, 2024
(1) ACCEPTANCE OF
				PATIENTS. A patient shall be accepted for service on the basis of a reasonable
				expectation that the patient's medical, nursing and social needs can be met
				adequately by the home health agency. No patient may be provided services
				except under a plan of care established by a physician, an advanced practice
				nurse prescriber, or a physician assistant.
(2) SERVICE AGREEMENT. Before care is
				initiated, the home health agency shall inform the patient, orally and in
				writing, of the extent to which payment may be expected from other sources, the
				charges for services that will not be covered by other sources and charges that
				the individual may have to pay.
(3)
				DISCHARGE OF PATIENTS.
(a)
Notice of
				discharge.
1. A home health agency
				may not discharge a patient for any reason until the agency has discussed the
				discharge with the patient or the patient's legal representative and the
				patient's attending physician, advanced practice nurse prescriber, or physician
				assistant, and has provided written notice to the patient or the patient's
				legal representative in the timelines specified in this paragraph.
2. The home health agency shall provide the
				written notice, except when a patient is discharged due to hospital admission
				that occurs near the end of a 60-day episode of treatment, required under subd.
				1. to the patient or the patient's legal representative at least 10 working
				days in advance of discharge if the reason for discharge is any of the
				following:
a. Payment has not been made for
				the patient's care, following reasonable opportunity to pay any unpaid
				billings.
b. The home health agency
				is unable to provide the care required by the patient due to a change in the
				patient's condition that is not an emergency.
3. The home health agency shall provide the
				written notice under subd. 1. to the patient or the patient's legal
				representative at the time of discharge if the reason for discharge is any of
				the following:
a. The safety of staff is
				compromised, as documented by the home health agency.
b. The attending physician, advanced practice
				nurse prescriber, or physician assistant orders the discharge for emergency
				medical reasons.
c. The patient no
				longer needs home health care as determined by the attending physician,
				advanced practice nurse prescriber, or physician assistant.
4. The home health agency shall
				insert a copy of the written discharge notice in the patient's medical
				record.
5. The home health agency
				shall include in every written discharge notice to a patient or the patient's
				legal representative all of the following:
a.
				The reason for discharge.
b. A
				notice of the patient's right to file a complaint with the department and the
				department's toll-free home health hotline telephone number and the address and
				telephone number of the department's division of quality assurance.
Note:
A complaint may be filed by writing the
				  Bureau of Health Services, Division of Quality Assurance, P.O. Box 2969,
				  Madison, Wisconsin 53701-2969 or by calling the Wisconsin Home Health Hotline
				  toll free at 1-800-642-6552.