Medicare program terminates Two Rivers Psychiatric Hospital

April 13, 2011

Federal officials have notified Two Rivers Psychiatric Hospital that it is being terminated from the Medicare program for failing to have adequate suicide precautions in place.

The action by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is considered a last resort when medical facilities fail to meet critical standards. It means the Medicare and Medicaid programs will no longer pay the hospital at 5121 Raytown Road to care for patients.

Two Rivers’ chief executive officer, Kevin Young, said in a statement Tuesday that the hospital was preparing an appeal and legal challenges.

“Two Rivers Hospital remains open and fully operational and will continue to do so during the pendency of this matter,” Young said.

Note from www.psychcrime.org: Two Rivers is among 100+ behavioral health facilities owned and operated by Universal Health Services (UHS).  There have been numerous patient abuses, deaths and at least one homicide in UHS facilities in recent years, which you can read about here.

Medicare’s termination notice said the program would continue to pay the hospital for 30 days for patients who were receiving in-patient care but would not pay for new admissions or those being treated as out-patients.

Federal officials have asked for a list of names and the Medicare claim numbers of those patients being treated as in-patient at the hospital as of the close of business Monday.

The termination was triggered by the March 12 suicide of a 59-year-old woman. The hospital failed to adequately monitor her and then bungled attempts to resuscitate her after she strangled herself with a strap, according to federal records.

Source: Robert A. Cronkleton, "Officials act to drop Two Rivers Psychiatric Hospital from Medicare, The Kansas City Star, April 13, 2011.