Medicare Funds in Limbo at UC-Irvine Medical Center After Report
UC-Irvine Medical Center could lose its eligibility to participate in Medicare after an investigation found a series of problems, including anesthesiologists filling out surgical records before procedures were completed, the Orange County Register reports (Fisher/Perkes, Orange County Register, 9/25).
The report also faulted UCI Medical Center for:
- Substandard equipment checks;
- Inadequate staffing; and
- Poor record-keeping.
The report stems from investigators' visit to the hospital in May. The visit was prompted by a complaint from a whistle-blower.
The facility will remain under the supervision of the California Department of Public Health until a second inspection confirms corrections were made (Yoshino, Los Angeles Times, 9/26).
CMS spokesperson Jack Cheevers said that the facility will remain eligible for Medicare funds if the second inspection finds no problems.
In the last fiscal year, state records show that Medicare accounted for about 26% of UCI Medical Center's gross revenue, totaling about $124 million (Orange County Register, 9/25).
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