What are CMS' expectations for handling grievances?

The following answer comes from HCPro's book, The CMS Survey Coordinator's Handbook, by Jeffrey Coleman:

Hospitals should have policies and procedures in place for dealing with complaints. They should be understood fully by the staff, and describe how patient complaints must be handled. Billing complaints are not considered grievances, so the focus is on patient care. The governing body must approve the grievance process and make sure that approval has not been delegated off to the patient advocate or administration. State laws may allow the patient to file a grievance with the state and this information must be offered to the patient.

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