Question 1

How much advance notice does Duke University Hospital have to give before discharging my father?

Accepted Answer

Hospitals, including Duke University Hospital and Duke Regional, are required to give written discharge planning notice, but there is no fixed statutory number of days — in practice discharge can move quickly once the medical team determines a patient is stable, sometimes within 24-48 hours. You have the right to request a copy of the discharge plan and to ask the case manager for time to evaluate rehab or home-care options before signing off. If you believe discharge is premature, you can formally appeal (see the Medicare discharge appeal process) rather than simply refusing to leave.

Question 2

Can the UNC REX case manager promise my mother a bed at a specific rehab facility?

Accepted Answer

No — hospital case managers at UNC REX (or any Triangle hospital) can provide a list of nearby skilled nursing facilities with open beds and help submit referrals, but they cannot guarantee placement at any specific facility, since bed availability and admission decisions belong to the receiving facility. They also cannot promise a particular length of stay or that Medicare will approve ongoing coverage once your mother is there. Ask the case manager for several options in writing and independently check each facility's CMS Five-Star rating on Medicare Care Compare before agreeing to a placement made under time pressure.

Question 3

How do I appeal a discharge I think is happening too soon from a Raleigh-Durham hospital?

Accepted Answer

Every Medicare inpatient at a Triangle hospital — WakeMed, Duke, UNC REX, or UNC Health Johnston — receives a written 'Important Message from Medicare' notice near admission and again before discharge explaining appeal rights; you can request a fast appeal by contacting the Beneficiary and Family-Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) listed on that notice before your family member leaves the hospital. Filing the appeal by the deadline on the notice pauses discharge and financial liability while the QIO reviews the case, typically within a day or two. Ask the hospital's patient advocate or case manager for a copy of the notice if you don't have it, since the appeal number and deadline are printed on that specific document.

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