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Can I appeal a hospital discharge with Medicare Advantage too
Use the free tool — Hospital Discharge Appeal
Yes — Medicare Advantage Has the Same Right
If your parent has Medicare Advantage instead of Original Medicare, the same fast-appeal right applies. The hospital must give the "Important Message from Medicare" (IM) notice, and you can call the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) to ask an independent doctor to review the discharge. This is not legal or medical advice — it is a description of the rule as it applies today.
How the Deadline Works
The clock starts when you receive the IM notice. You must call the QIO by noon of the day after you received it. The tool computes this deadline from the date you type. The notice's own wording and the QIO control the actual deadline, so treat the computed date as a starting point, not the final word.
What Happens While the Review Is Pending
- An independent physician at the QIO reviews the case.
- Medicare — or the Medicare Advantage plan — keeps paying during the review.
- The hospital cannot bill for those days while the review is underway.
- There is no cost to you, and you do not need a lawyer to make the call.
What the Hospital Must Give You
The hospital must also provide a Detailed Notice of Discharge in writing if you appeal. If the QIO's first-level review does not go your way, there is a second-level step: an expedited reconsideration. Ask the hospital case manager for safe-discharge planning details at the same time.
Florida Numbers to Call
- Florida QIO: Acentra Health (KEPRO), 1-888-317-0751
- SHINE (Florida's Medicare counseling program): 1-800-963-5337
Florida's QIO contractor can change over time. Confirm the number on the IM notice itself, or with the hospital or SHINE, before you rely on it.
What to Do Next
Hospital Discharge Appeal is a free tool, in English and Spanish, that reads the dates and details you type — not a chart, not a file, just what you enter. It computes your deadline, gives you the Florida QIO number, the exact script to use on the call, and what the hospital owes you in writing. It does not call the QIO for you, and it is not medical, legal, or benefits advice. It is not known from the material whether what you type is stored; the only promise made is that the tool is free to use. For Medicare denials or an ANOC letter, use Medicare Decoder instead. Always confirm the deadline and the QIO's current number with the hospital or the agency.
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.