Questions to ask before you leave
Use what you have seen to prepare questions. If you disagree with the discharge, read the review steps on your notice now.
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All the questions
How will ongoing care be handled?
Ask who will provide continuing treatment, equipment, therapy and follow-up after discharge. Write down the plan and any unanswered questions.
What is the reason for discharge?
Ask the care team to explain the decision and provide the applicable written notice. Record when you received it.
Is there a new notice after an appeal?
Keep both decisions. Ask the reviewer which further-review process and deadline apply; do not assume a new notice resets every deadline.
Is a notice missing or unclear?
Request a copy and contact the reviewer for instructions. Keep a note of the date and time you received each notice.
Who can answer questions about the plan?
Ask the treating clinician about the medical decision. Ask the discharge team where you go next and what help is set up.
Do the recommendations match your understanding?
Write down your questions about treatment, palliative care or hospice recommendations and discuss them with the treating team.
Does the record contain conflicting instructions or preferences?
Raise concerns about current treatment or code-status instructions with the care team promptly. Keep the relevant copies and use the amendment process for inaccurate or incomplete record entries.
Does the record match what you were told?
Keep dated notes of conversations and the passages you want clarified. Distinguish your observations from what a record states.
If hospice or palliative care is raised
You can ask for clear information and time to decide, starting with these questions:
Who is recommending it, and why now?
Ask what changed in the patient's condition. Ask the treating clinician to explain in plain words, and to put it in the record.
What are the other options?
Ask what treatment would continue, what would stop, and what each choice means for the patient's comfort and time.
Are you being rushed?
You may ask for more time, a second opinion or a family meeting.
Does the record match what the patient wants?
Check that the patient's own wishes and any code-status choice are recorded correctly. If a record is wrong, use the amendment guide. If you feel pressured, you can file a grievance.
Appeal instructions: Medicare, Fast appeals. The rules: 42 CFR 482.43 (hospital discharge planning), 42 CFR 482.13 (patient rights). Reviewed 13 September 2026.