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What is the Florida QIO phone number to stop a discharge
Use the free tool — Hospital Discharge Appeal
The Florida QIO phone number
Florida's Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) is Acentra Health (KEPRO). The number is 1-888-317-0751. If you need extra help understanding your rights, SHINE can also assist at 1-800-963-5337.
This is not legal or medical advice. QIO contractors can change. Confirm the number on the hospital's own "Important Message from Medicare" (IM) notice or by calling the hospital or SHINE.
What starts the clock
The hospital must give you (or the patient) a notice called the "Important Message from Medicare" (CMS-10065). This notice is what starts the deadline to call the QIO. Write down the exact date and time you received it.
The deadline: noon the day after
Under 42 CFR 405.1205–405.1206, you must call the QIO by noon of the day after you received the IM notice to ask for a fast (expedited) discharge review. The wording of the notice itself, and the QIO, control the exact deadline in your case — confirm with the hospital or the QIO if anything is unclear.
What happens after you call
- An independent doctor reviews whether the patient is ready to leave.
- Medicare keeps paying while the review happens.
- The hospital cannot bill for those days during the review.
- There is no cost to you and no lawyer required.
What the hospital must give you
When you appeal, the hospital must deliver a Detailed Notice of Discharge (CMS-10066) in writing, explaining the specific reasons for discharge. If the first review does not go your way, there is a second-level step called an expedited reconsideration.
Medicare Advantage too
The same QIO right applies if the patient has Medicare Advantage instead of original Medicare — not just traditional Medicare.
What to do next
Type in the date and time you received the IM notice, the planned discharge date, the Medicare type, and why the patient isn't ready. The free Hospital Discharge Appeal tool reads your own dates and situation, computes the exact deadline, gives you the Florida QIO number and the exact words to say, and lists what the hospital owes you in writing. It does not see the medical chart and does not call the QIO for you — you still make that call. It is not medical, legal, or benefits advice; confirm details with the hospital, the QIO, or SHINE. For Medicare denials or an ANOC letter, use Medicare Decoder instead.
Hospital Discharge Appeal is an informational tool based on 42 CFR 405.1205–405.1206, the CMS 'Important Message from Medicare' (CMS-10065) and 'Detailed Notice of Discharge' (CMS-10066) as of 2025–26. It is not medical, legal or benefits advice, cannot see the chart, and does not contact the QIO for you. The QIO contractor for Florida may change; verify the number on the IM notice. It is not affiliated with CMS, any hospital or QIO.