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<section article="ghu" article_name="Human Services" number="10-428" title_number="10" title_name="Department of Aging" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Continuing Care">
  <level label="a">
    <text>A provider shall establish an internal grievance procedure to address a subscriber’s grievance.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The internal grievance procedure shall at least:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>allow a subscriber or group of subscribers collectively to submit a written grievance to the provider;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>require the provider to send a written acknowledgment to the subscriber or group of subscribers within 5 days after receipt of the written grievance;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>require the provider to assign personnel to investigate the grievance;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>give a subscriber or group of subscribers who file a written grievance the right to meet with management of the provider within 30 days after receipt of the written grievance to present the grievance; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>require the provider to respond in writing within 45 days after receipt of the written grievance regarding the investigation and resolution of the grievance.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Within 30 days after the conclusion of an internal grievance procedure established under this section, a subscriber, group of subscribers, or provider may seek mediation through one of the Community Mediation Centers in the State or another mediation provider.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If a provider, subscriber, or group of subscribers seeks mediation under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the mediation shall be nonbinding.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>On an annual basis, the Department shall collect from each provider information about internal grievances filed for each of the provider’s facilities, including:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the number of internal grievances filed;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the aggregated, deidentified summary of internal grievances;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>whether a grievance went to mediation and the outcome of the mediation; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>the final disposition of each filed grievance.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>On or before December 1 each year, the Department shall report to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Health and Government Operations Committee, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, on the data received from each provider under paragraph (1) of this subsection.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
