Houston-based United Memorial Medical Center is a step closer to regaining its Medicare contract after CMS terminated it in January, according to the Houston Chronicle.
CMS ended the hospital's Medicare contract after several surveys found the facility failed to meet certain health and safety standards.
On April 19, the Center for Improvement and Healthcare Quality conducted an unannounced inspection at UMMC. After the inspection, UMMC received an accreditation from the center that indicates the hospital's standards are in line with CMS regulations.
The accreditation is an important first step in regaining the Medicare contract as CMS likely would not grant the hospital its appeal and recertification without it, according to the report.
After receiving the accreditation, United Memorial Medical Center submitted its application for recertification last week, a spokesperson told the Houston Chronicle.
Although it lost funding for treating Medicare and Medicaid patients, the hospital is still treating patients with government insurance and absorbing the costs. The spokesperson said it is unclear how long the hospital can sustain that practice.