(a) A hospital shall adopt and maintain written discharge policies. The policies must comply with Alaska Stat. § 18.20.500 – 18.20.590.
Terms Used In Alaska Statutes 18.20.530
state: means the State of Alaska unless applied to the different parts of the United States and in the latter case it includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
(b) The discharge policies of a hospital must specify the requirements for documenting the identity of a patient’s designated caregiver and the details of the discharge plan for the patient, including professional follow-up as specified in the discharge plan.(c) The discharge policies of a hospital may incorporate established evidence-based practices that include
(1) standards for accreditation adopted by a nationally recognized hospital accreditation organization; or(2) the conditions of participation for hospitals adopted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.(d) The discharge policies of a hospital must ensure that the discharge planning is appropriate to the condition of the patient, and the hospital shall interpret the discharge policies in a manner and as necessary to meet the needs and condition of the patient and the abilities of the patient’s designated caregiver.(e)Alaska Stat. § 18.20.500 – 18.20.590 do not require that a hospital adopt discharge policies that would
(1) delay a patient’s discharge or transfer to another facility; or(2) require the disclosure of protected health information without obtaining a patient’s consent as required by state and federal laws governing health information privacy and security.
