Ask the Expert

If a patient is moved from one acute care facility to another acute care facility, would this be treated as a transfer or a discharge?

What methods can patient access use to screen patients for payment plan programs?

Q: I'm in charge of a coding audit for our department for the first time and trying to determine how many cases to use as a sample. What factors should I consider when choosing the sample?

Our experts answer questions about responding to PTP edits, charging for drug administration that crosses midnight, and more.

How many discharge plan options should case managers provide to patients during the discharge planning process?

Under what circumstances would it be appropriate for a patient who does not meet inpatient criteria to be registered as outpatient receiving observation services?

Q: How should drug administration services be reported when they cross the midnight hour?

Q. Is it acceptable to dispose of shredded paper documents containing PHI in the regular trash, or must we still contract with a disposal company?

Q: I work for a hospital with a geriatric psychiatry unit. Many patients are discharged to nursing homes. Often, nursing homes contact the hospital for patient information, but we have only the patients' psychiatric records and are hesitant to send them. Is it permissible under HIPAA to send this information to a nursing home for continued care?

Q. Are we allowed to accept verbal acknowledgement of receipt of the Notice of Privacy Practices, or must it always be signed?