Proposed federal rule would grant nursing home residents, therapy patients more power to complain about 'poor' care

[LTCCareer.com]

February 04, 2011

 

 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed a new rule that would require an expanded class of providers and suppliers of Medicare services to alert beneficiaries to the existence of quality improvement organizations (QIOs). Previously, only hospitals and select others had been obligated to do so. 

Under the new rule, nursing homes, therapy providers, outpatient centers and many others would have to give written information to beneficiaries about how to contact state quality improvement organizations in the event of poor quality of care.

"By requiring providers and suppliers to furnish QIO contact information to all beneficiaries, we are protecting beneficiaries' rights to bring their worries about quality of care to a third party for review, which can lead to better care not only for the beneficiary, but for all patients in a given care setting," CMS Administrator Dr. Donald Berwick said.

CMS is accepting comments on the proposal until April 3 and said it “will respond to comments in a final rule to be issued in the coming months.” To view more quality improvement organizations' role, click here.