Rule 111-8-40-.10 - Hospital-Patient CommunicationsThe hospital shall develop, implement, and enforce policies and procedures to ensure that each patient is:
(a) Informed about the hospital's grievance process, including whom to contact to file a grievance or complaint with the hospital and that individual's telephone number, and the name, address, and telephone number of the state regulatory agency;(b) Provided an opportunity to give informed consent, or have the patient's legally authorized representative give informed consent, as required by state law, with documentation of provision of such opportunity in the patient's medical record;(c) Afforded the right to refuse medical and surgical treatment to the extent permitted by law;(d) Have advance directives honored in accordance with the law and afforded the opportunity to issue advance directives if admitted on inpatient status;(e) Provided, upon request, a written summary of hospital charge rates, per service, sufficient and timely enough to allow the patient to compare charges and make cost-effective decisions in the purchase of hospital services;(f) Provided an itemized statement of all charges for which the patient or third-party payer is being billed; and(g) Provided communication of information in a method that is effective for the recipient, whether the recipient is the patient or the patient's designated representative. If the hospital cannot provide communications in a method that is effective for the recipient, attempts to provide such shall be documented in the patient's medical record.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 111-8-40-.10
O.C.G.A. §§ 10-1-393, 31-7-2.1, 31-7-11, 31-9-2, 31-9-7, 31-11-82, 31-32-1et seq., 31-33-2, 31-33-3.
Original Rule entitled "Hospital-Patient Communications" adopted. F. Feb. 20, 2013; eff. Mar. 12, 2013.