Hospital Discharge Appeal Notices

Since July 2, 2007, hospitals must deliver a revised version of the Important Message from Medicare to inform Medicare beneficiaries who are hospital inpatients about their hospital discharge appeal rights. Notice is required both for Original Medicare beneficiaries and for those enrolled in Medicare health plans. Beneficiaries who choose to appeal a discharge decision will receive a more detailed notice.

More information about the process, notices, questions and answers, and regulations is available on the CMS website.

Hospital Discharge Appeal Rights: New Medicare Notices & Process Changes

Form 1696 Appointment of Representative

Contact Information

National Medicare Helpline
1.800.Medicare (1.800.633.4227) TTY/TDD 1.877.486.2048

CFMC Medicare Beneficiary Helpline
1.800.727.7086 or 303.695.3333 (use these numbers on your notices)
These numbers are answered seven days a week, including weekends and holidays

CFMC FAX 303.695.3383 (do not fax appeal requests to this number)

CFMC QIO Appeals contact staff:

Jean King, RN Program Manager Medicare Appeal 303.695.3300 ext 3098
Sharon Bren, RN Review Coordinator 303.695.3300 ext 3017

Please call us with any questions regarding the hospital notices and appeal process and your responsibility as a provider

Government Information Links For Providers And Beneficiaries

Hospital Discharge Appeal Notices (several links available on this website)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Social Security Administration
CMS Beneficiary Notices Initiative (BNI)
CMS Quarterly Provider Updates
CMS Manuals
CMS Pub 100-04 Medicare

The Colorado Foundation for Medical Care (CFMC), the Medicare quality improvement organization for Colorado, prepared this material under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents do not necessarily reflect CMS Policy.