Mission Health nearly lost its Medicare contract last fall: What changes were enacted to keep it?

Mission Hospital faced termination of its Medicare contract last year, though the Asheville, N.C.-based hospital's corrective action plan was accepted by the federal government, according to News 13

CMS threatened to terminate its Medicare contract with the hospital in November 2020. A termination letter sent from CMS claimed Mission's emergency department failed to provide "appropriate medical screening examination" in 1 of 30 cases reviewed, according to News 13. In July, a patient released from the hospital's emergency department died by suicide days later, according to the report.

CMS required Mission to remedy the deficiencies by February 2021. Mission submitted a corrective action plan to CMS that reviewed ED screenings and ensured transfers from EMS to emergency staff included and documented behavioral health information, according to the report.

Mission was back in compliance in December 2020.

Mission Hospital spokesperson Nancy Lindell told News 13: "Based on a report in July 2020 from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Mission Hospital completed a thorough investigation and submitted an action plan which included additional hand-off/assessment procedures between our emergency room staff and EMS providers. This action plan was accepted by CMS and Mission Hospital was found in compliance with no follow-up survey needed. There was no disruption in service at any time."

Other CMS inspections in 2020 found some standards at the hospital weren't being met. In February 2020, Mission didn't have a director to oversee its dietary services, and in July a patient fall and injury was also flagged. Mission completed corrective action plans for both instances, according to News 13.

An investigation by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services in February 2020, a state licensure survey in July 2020 and a self-reported survey in October of the same year didn't discover any deficiencies at the hospital.

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