South Jackson hospital could lose Medicare funds


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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Officials have warned that a Jackson hospital it could lose Medicare funding if the hospital does not change how it handles emergency care patients.

Merit Health Central Hospital, formerly known as Central Mississippi Medical Center, has been criticized for transferring some emergency patients to other hospitals, The Clarion-Ledger reports (http://on.thec-l.com/1FNexqu ).

Federal law prohibits "patient dumping," in which a hospital transfers patients to another hospital because they can't pay.

Merit officials deny such practices have taken place, saying that doctors who make the decision to transfer patients have no knowledge of the patients' financial situations.

Sandra Pace of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services wrote to the hospital's CEO Lisa Dolan on May 13, saying the hospital's approach to emergency patients is dangerous. Pace says Medicare could sever its ties with the for-profit hospital by June 5.

"We have determined that the deficiencies are so serious that they constitute an immediate threat and jeopardy to the health and safety of any individual who comes to your hospital with an emergency medical condition," Pace wrote.

According to Pace, the hospital had failed to provide on-call physicians that were available to stabilize treatment, provide adequate medical screening and make appropriate transfers.

Jana Fuss, a spokeswoman for Merit Health, says Pace's findings are based on old incidents, and the hospital has since corrected its procedures.

"Merit Health Central is focused on providing medically necessary emergency care to all patients who come to our emergency room," Fuss said.

Merit Health is Mississippi's largest health system and has grown to include a dozen hospitals across the state.

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Information from: The Clarion-Ledger, http://www.clarionledger.com

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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