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Bordallo seeks federal assistance for GMH Medicare challenges
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo recently wrote to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Office of Insular Affairs to request federal assistance for the Guam Memorial Hospital. Bordallo expressed her concern that Guam’s only public hospital may lose its Medicare provider status. She requested that time be granted for GMH to remedy deficiencies identified by CMS in a June 5, 2018 letter.
Bordallo further requested that CMS and OIA establish a federal task force to provide GMH with technical assistance to comply with federal Medicare requirements. She referenced a similar task force that was established to provide assistance to the CNMI Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation when it faced similar challenges in 2013. Congresswoman Bordallo believes that similar consideration should be given to Guam and that coordinated efforts should be provided to assist GMH as it identifies and corrects program insufficiencies.
“I am deeply concerned that CMS may terminate GMH’s Medicare provider agreement. While there are certainly broader reforms that are needed to assist GMH, losing Medicare provider status at Guam’s only public hospital would have serious negative implications on our community. GMH must work to comply with federal requirements and rectify deficiencies identified by CMS’s recent survey, but coordinated efforts within the federal government will provide needed support to help GMH through this process. I am working with CMS and OIA to provide this assistance so that GMH can continue to provide Medicare services to our people.” (PR)
