April 27, 2026
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has updated its Important Message from Medicare and Detailed Notice of Discharge. Providers should transition to using the new notices by May 15, 2026, according to CMS. The updated versions are effective until March 31, 2029. You can download the forms in English and Spanish from CMS.
How the forms are used: Hospitals are required to deliver the Important Message from Medicare to all Medicare beneficiaries who are hospital inpatients. The message informs hospitalized inpatient beneficiaries of their hospital discharge appeal rights.
Hospitals should provide a Detailed Notice of Discharge only if a beneficiary requests an appeal. The notice explains the specific reasons for the discharge.
Learn more from the CMS Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Section 200, Chapter 30.
The information provided does not constitute coding or legal advice. It is only intended to be a summary of the law that has been enacted and is not intended to be an exhaustive description of the law or a legal opinion of such law. If you have any questions regarding the law mentioned here, you should consult with your legal advisor.