Q&A: Disclosable Financial Interests

Q. How can discharge planners learn whether their facility has a disclosable financial interest?

A. The hospital administrator responsible for licensure and certification must complete an application for the facility to become a Medicare provider. This application requires disclosure of all financial relationship information. Ask your hospital administration for this information in order to be sure you know exactly which organization qualifies for disclosure when giving a choice to patients. Financial relationships change, sometimes frequently. Ensuring that financial information is accurate and current helps discharge planners avoid disclosing nonexistent financial relationships and helps ensure that they don’t inadvertently fail to disclose an existing one.

For more information, see Discharge Planning Guide: Tools for Compliance, Fourth Edition.

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