| 11463 |
SUMMERSVILLE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER D/P |
515029 |
400 FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS ROAD |
SUMMERSVILLE |
WV |
26651 |
2010-10-20 |
224 |
D |
|
|
H9I611 |
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** . Based on record review, staff interview, and family interview, the facility failed to obtain approval from the Social Security Administration before it, while serving as an organizational representative payee, reimbursed Summersville Memorial Hospital for medical debts in arrears for one (1) of twenty-three (23) Stage II residents. Resident identifier: #28. Facility census: 49. Findings include: a) Resident #28 Record review revealed Resident #28 was admitted to Summersville Memorial Hospital's skilled nursing unit on [DATE], and expired at the facility on [DATE]. Review of the resident trust fund accounting information revealed the facility paid a total of $733.01 to Summersville Memorial Hospital from Resident #28's personal fund account maintained by the facility on [DATE], [DATE], and [DATE], for services incurred at Summersville Memorial Hospital on [DATE], [DATE], [DATE], [DATE], and [DATE] - all of which were debts made prior to her admission to the skilled nursing unit. During a telephone interview with the resident's former medical power of attorney representative (MPOA) and spouse on [DATE] at approximately 8:00 p.m., they spoke their belief that the facility should have forwarded any extra money the resident had in her personal account to the resident's burial fund rather than paying bills that were five (5), six (6), and seven (7) years old and which incurred when she resided in the acute care portion of the facility. During an interview with the staff member responsible for patient accounts (Employee #130) on [DATE] at 9:30 a.m., she said the skilled nursing unit is a subdivision of Summersville Memorial Hospital, and their tax identification numbers are the same. She handles accounts for the skilled nursing unit and explained that Resident #28's old debts to Summersville Memorial Hospital had been turned over to a collection agency. She said she assumed that, if a resident had a previous bill from any hospital or other bill (such as an unpaid electric bill), the facility managing the funds would pay outstanding debts presented. She produced evidence the Social Security Administration (SSA) designated Summersville Memorial Hospital to serve as Resident #28's organizational representative payee on [DATE]. On page 3 of the Advance Notification of Representative Payment form from the SSA dated [DATE], the facility answered "no" to question #11, when it asked if the claimant (Resident #28) was "indebted to your institution for past care and maintenance". Employee #130 stated that, at that time, the skilled nursing unit was unaware of the past due debts owed to Summersville Memorial Hospital; it was not until the bad debts were turned over to a collection agency and the past due bills were presented to the facility for payment on [DATE], [DATE], and [DATE] (totaling $733.01) that the staff at the skilled nursing unit became aware of the debt. When asked if the facility had requested permission from the SSA to pay those outstanding debts to Summersville Memorial Hospital before making the payments, Employee #130 said they had not, and she was not aware that they needed to obtain this permission, since they were the resident's representative payee. . |
2014-02-01 |