PORT ANGELES – Olympic Medical Center officials say they do not expect any disruption in Medicare payments, despite earlier warnings from federal health authorities over compliance issues.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) had set August 15 as the date payments could be halted if the hospital failed to correct deficiencies in two areas — Patient Rights and Nursing Services. More than 60% of OMC’s patients are on Medicare.
In an update Wednesday, OMC spokesperson Bobby Stone said a recent inspection by the Washington State Department of Health showed “significant improvements” in clinical documentation, with surveyors noting how quickly the hospital implemented corrective measures.
Stone said OMC will continue working with both the state and CMS to fine-tune policies, processes, and documentation. While some additional corrections are still needed, she said the hospital has not received any official notice from CMS and “does not anticipate any interruption in payments.”
“We remain open and ready to serve our patients and our community,” Stone said.