Minnesota Administrative Rules
Agency 144 - Health Department
Chapter 4664 - HOSPICE SERVICES
Part 4664.0040 - HANDLING OF PATIENTS' FINANCES AND PROPERTY

Subpart 1. Powers-of-attorney.

A licensee must not accept powers-of-attorney from hospice patients for any purpose and must not accept appointments as guardians or conservators of hospice patients, unless the licensee maintains a clear organizational separation between the hospice service and the program that accepts guardianship or conservatorship appointments. This subpart does not apply to licensees that are Minnesota counties or other units of government.

Subp. 2. Handling patient finances.

A licensee may assist hospice patients with household budgeting, including paying bills and purchasing household goods, but must not otherwise manage a hospice patient's finances. A licensee must provide a hospice patient with receipts for all transactions and purchases paid with the hospice patient's funds. When receipts are not available, the transaction or purchase must be documented. A licensee must maintain records of all such transactions.

Subp. 3. Security of patient property.

A licensee must not borrow a hospice patient's property, nor in any way convert a hospice patient's property to the licensee's possession, except in payment of a fee at the fair market value of the property.

Subp. 4. Gifts and donations.

Nothing in this part precludes a licensee or its staff from accepting bona fide gifts of minimal value or precludes the acceptance of donations or bequests made to a licensee that are exempt from income tax under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

Subp. 5. Fines.

For each violation of the following subparts, the stated fine shall be assessed: