If a health facility does not perform enough heart transplants by Medicare standards, then the funding may not be available, such as this example who is declining transplants for Medicare patients only, although their normal transplant procedures will continue for other patients. BD
University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center has stopped performing Medicare-funded heart transplants after failing to meet requirements for reimbursement for the procedure.
The hospital has been unable to perform the 12 heart transplants annually required by Medicare. Over the past decade, the hospital has performed 14 heart transplants annually but recently began to see a decline in numbers.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sent letters Friday telling hospitals in Texas, Minnesota and Indiana that they have 30 days to overhaul their heart transplant programs. Over the past two years, the hospitals have performed too few transplants to maintain the proficiency required by Medicare.
The need for heart transplants has declined because of advances in medication and other surgical procedures, UK doctors said. UK's heart transplant program will continue, but not with Medicare recipients.
Kentucky.com | 07/04/2007 | UK hospital quits Medicare heart program
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