Billing transparency
There is no worse of thing than to start any relationship off with falsities, especially when it is in relation to the care of a senior. It is always best served for both the facility and resident to have a transparent relationship where both parties are free to honestly communicate the expectations, they have for one another. The following regulation is provided by DC CRF/CRCFD/HRA to ensure communities are disclosing pertinent information to the public:
10111 DISCLOSURE
10111.1 An ALR shall not provide any billable service or item that will be at a cost additional to the resident’s existing balance for the billing cycle unless the ALR has first:
(a) Provided the resident (or surrogate) with:
(1) Oral and written notice of all fees, rates, and charges he or she will incur for the provision of the service or item; and
(2) The dollar amount, frequency, and number of recurring charges that will occur for the provision of that service or item; and
(b) Obtained the resident’s (or surrogate’s) signature acknowledging receipt of the advance disclosures required by paragraph (a) of this subsection.
10111.2 An ALR shall keep a copy of the written notice and signed acknowledgment required by this subsection in the resident’s record.
10111.3 An ALR shall be excused from the requirements of § 10111.01 if emergency circumstances necessitate the immediate provision of an item or service that would otherwise have required advance disclosure of the fees, rates, and charges. An ALR shall provide the disclosures described in § 10111.01(a) and obtain the signature confirmation described in § 10111.01(b) upon concluding its assessment of the resident following the emergency.
10111.4 If an ALR is unable to obtain a resident’s (or surrogate’s) signed acknowledgment required by § 10111.1 after diligent efforts, the ALR may make note of its inability to obtain the signature on the signature line, which shall include a brief description of the method and number of attempts made to obtain the signature, the dates the attempts were made, and the name of the employee who made the attempts.