Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, faces a June 5 deadline to correct violations or risk losing Medicare and Medicaid funding, a move that could leave many seniors without access to critical healthcare services.
Following a series of violations identified by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has put Mission Hospital on notice.
With Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries accounting for 68 percent of the hospital's charges, according to fiscal 2022 data issued by the National Academy for State Health Policy, potential funding cutoff threatens the nonprofit hospital's operations and the healthcare accessibility for western North Carolina's senior population.
The CMS' ultimatum, communicated through multiple letters, was based on violations that include noncompliance in areas such as the hospital's governing body, patient rights, quality assessment and performance improvement, nursing services, laboratory services, and emergency services It stipulates the June 5 compliance deadline for Mission Hospital.
In early February, the CMS sent a letter to the hospital's CEO, Chad Patrick, detailing "immediate jeopardy" deficiencies across the six key operational areas, mandating a corrective plan from Mission Hospital by February 6.
Despite the hospital's efforts, a subsequent survey in late February indicated that the immediate jeopardy status was lifted, yet condition-level noncompliance persisted, prompting another notice from the CMS.
A March 8 communication extended the potential termination of the Medicare provider agreement to June 5, unless substantial compliance was achieved.
Mission was required to submit a detailed "Plan of Correction" by March 13 to address the continued failures.
Most recently, a March 14 letter from the CMS cited two additional violations under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), focusing on emergency room patient care standards.
The new findings underlined the scrutiny of the hospital's position concerning Medicare funding.
Nancy Lindell, a spokeswoman for Mission Hospital, responded to questions from ABC News 13, WLOS, a local Asheville news station. She described the CMS extension as a phase in the ongoing process to ensure the sustainability of their corrective measures.
The hospital reiterated its commitment to process improvements following the March 14 letter that highlighted EMTALA-related findings, saying that recent changes have already brought tangible improvements, evidenced by patient and EMS partner feedback.
As the June 5 deadline approaches, the pressure mounts for Mission Hospital to address and rectify the violations cited by the CMS. With the hospital's Medicare and Medicaid agreements hanging in the balance, the impact of noncompliance could have far-reaching consequences, jeopardizing healthcare access for a demographic heavily reliant on the programs.
Newsweek reached out to both the CMS and Mission Hospital by email for comment on Thursday.
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