Quick Explanation
Denial code HP8 indicates that a claim was rejected because the documentation for the patient's voluntary revocation of their hospice election was missing, incomplete, or improperly executed. Under Medicare and commercial guidelines, a patient has the right to revoke their hospice election at any time, but this requires a signed, dated statement containing specific regulatory elements to be considered legally valid.
Common Causes for HP8
Denials with code HP8 typically happen for the following specific reasons:
- The written revocation statement lacks the beneficiary's or authorized representative's signature, or is missing the specific effective date of the revocation.
- Failure to submit the Notice of Termination/Revocation (NOTR, Type of Bill 81B or 82B) to the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) within the required 5 calendar days of the revocation date.
- The revocation document fails to explicitly state that the individual is revoking the hospice election for the remaining days of the current benefit period.
- Discrepancies exist between the revocation date recorded in the clinical EHR and the date reported on the final hospice claim.
How to Prevent HP8 Denials
To avoid receiving this denial in the future, implement these specific checks:
- Utilize a standardized hospice revocation template that contains all CMS-mandated fields, including patient signature, explicit revocation language, and the exact effective date.
- Implement an automated alert system to ensure the Notice of Termination/Revocation (NOTR) is submitted within 5 calendar days of the patient signing the revocation form.
- Conduct weekly quality assurance audits on all discharge and revocation records to verify clinical documentation compliance prior to claim submission.
- Provide targeted training to clinical staff on the strict distinction between a standard discharge and a voluntary patient revocation to prevent documentation errors.
Appeal Letter Template for HP8
If you believe this claim was denied incorrectly, you can use the following template to submit an appeal.
[Your Practice Header]
[Date]
[Payer Name]
[Appeals Department Address]
RE: Appeal for Claim [Claim Number]
Patient: [Patient Name]
ID: [Patient ID]
Date of Service: [Date]
Denial Code: HP8 - Revocation not properly documented
Dear Appeals Department,
I am writing to appeal the denial of the above-referenced claim, which was denied with code HP8: "Revocation not properly documented".
We are appealing the denial of this claim associated with denial code HP8 (Revocation not properly documented). Pursuant to the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 9, Section 20.2, a beneficiary may revoke the hospice election at any time by filing a signed statement containing the required regulatory elements. Enclosed, you will find the fully executed, dated, and signed Hospice Revocation Form completed by the beneficiary on [Insert Date], which clearly states the effective date of the revocation and complies with all CMS guidelines. Additionally, the Notice of Termination/Revocation (NOTR) was submitted timely, aligning with the attached clinical timeline. Because all documentation requirements for a valid hospice revocation have been fully met, we respectfully request that this denial be overturned and the claim be processed for payment.
Attached please find:
1. A copy of the original claim.
2. The relevant medical records supporting the service.
3. [Any other supporting documents].
We respectfully request that you reprocess this claim for payment.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Title]
[Practice Name]
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