Q&A: Discharge Planning Conditions of Participation

Q: When will CMS implement the proposed changes for the discharge planning Conditions of Participation (CoPs)?

A: I anticipate relatively soon. The amendment to the Social Security Act came out in 1988 saying you will do discharge planning and then they kept evolving it and because this is so big and such a big expansion, I imagine that it will take a little while, but I don’t think it’s going to be too long and they could not give me insider information.

Everybody should act as if the proposals are the way it’s going to be when the CoPs are finalized. CMS published the blue box advisories two or three years ago and there’s nothing in here that’s not logical and if CMS doesn’t pass one thing, then I’ll say you should be doing it anyway because it has good outcomes.

This question was adapted from the HCPro webcast "Discharge Planning: Realignment of Standards and Workflow" featuring Jackie Birmingham, RN, BSN, MS, CMAC, and Janet L. Blondo, MSW, LCSW-C, LICSW, CMAC, ACM, CCM, C-ASWCM, ACSW.

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