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Houston hospital loses heart transplant Medicaid funding

Posted at 2:05 PM, Aug 17, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-17 15:05:47-04

HOUSTON (AP) – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has stopped funding a Houston hospital’s renowned heart transplant program amid scrutiny over patient deaths.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center is set to lose the federal funding Friday. The federal health agency announced the decision in June after finding that the hospital hadn’t done enough to correct issues that led to a high rate of patient deaths in recent years.

The hospital will no longer be able to bill Medicare and Medicaid for heart transplants.

Medical experts say the funding termination will have ramifications beyond the heart transplant program, such as the loss of private insurance companies.

St. Luke’s spokeswoman Marilyn Gerry says the hospital is working with the agency on possible options to maintain federal approval.

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Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com

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