View all text of Subpart I [§ 460.150 - § 460.172]

§ 460.164 - Involuntary disenrollment.

(a) Effective date. A participant's involuntary disenrollment occurs after the PACE organization meets the requirements set forth in this section and is effective on the first day of the next month that begins 30 days after the day the PACE organization sends notice of the disenrollment to the participant.

(b) Reasons for involuntary disenrollment. A participant may be involuntarily disenrolled for any of the following reasons:

(1) The participant, after a 30-day grace period, fails to pay or make satisfactory arrangements to pay any premium due the PACE organization.

(2) The participant, after a 30-day grace period, fails to pay or make satisfactory arrangements to pay any applicable Medicaid spend down liability or any amount due under the post-eligibility treatment of income process, as permitted under §§ 460.182 and 460.184.

(3) The participant or the participant's caregiver engages in disruptive or threatening behavior, as described in paragraph (c) of this section.

(4) The participant engages in disruptive or threatening behavior, as described in paragraph (c) of this section.

(5) The participant moves out of the PACE program service area or is out of the service area for more than 30 consecutive days, unless the PACE organization agrees to a longer absence due to extenuating circumstances.

(6) The participant is determined to no longer meet the State Medicaid nursing facility level of care requirements and is not deemed eligible.

(7) The PACE program agreement with CMS and the State administering agency is not renewed or is terminated.

(8) The PACE organization is unable to offer health care services due to the loss of State licenses or contracts with outside providers.

(c) Disruptive or threatening behavior. (1) For purposes of this section, a participant who engages in disruptive or threatening behavior refers to a participant who exhibits either of the following:

(i) A participant whose behavior jeopardizes his or her health or safety, or the safety of others; or

(ii) A participant with decision-making capacity who consistently refuses to comply with his or her individual plan of care or the terms of the PACE enrollment agreement.

(2) For purposes of this section, a participant's caregiver who engages in disruptive or threatening behavior exhibits behavior that jeopardizes the participant's health or safety, or the safety of the caregiver or others.

(d) Documentation of disruptive or threatening behavior. If a PACE organization proposes to disenroll a participant based on the disruptive or threatening behavior of the participant or the participant's caregiver, the organization must document the following information in the participant's medical record:

(1) The reasons for proposing to disenroll the participant.

(2) All efforts to remedy the situation.

(e) Noncompliant behavior. (1) A PACE organization may not disenroll a PACE participant on the grounds that the participant has engaged in noncompliant behavior if the behavior is related to a mental or physical condition of the participant, unless the participant's behavior jeopardizes his or her health or safety, or the safety of others.

(2) For purposes of this section, noncompliant behavior includes repeated noncompliance with medical advice and repeated failure to keep appointments.

(f) State administering agency review and final determination. Before an involuntary disenrollment is effective, the State administering agency must review it and determine in a timely manner that the PACE organization has adequately documented acceptable grounds for disenrollment.

[64 FR 66279, Nov. 24, 1999, as amended at 84 FR 25677, June 3, 2019]