The Cottage Hospital CEO Sanjay Sharma says that he will appeal the decision Dec. 27 that cut off Medicare payments so that the hospital can be reopened, the Galesburg (Ill.) Register-Mail reported. Cottage Hospital locked its doors Saturday night and put up signs saying that it is temporarily closed. Letters were sent on Friday to employees telling them their jobs were terminated. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services informed Cottage Hospital Dec. 27, 2021, that it failed to meet health and safety standards to be certified as a Medicare and Medicaid provider. The deadline for Medicare and Medicaid coverage was then extended to Jan. 14, with current patients being covered for 30 days beyond that. Without Medicare and Medicaid, the hospital would lose most of its revenue. Medicare and Medicaid payments accounted for 72% of Cottage Hospital’s net revenue in 2020, according to the latest Health Facilities and Services Review Board data profile. Cottage hospital has 60 days from Dec. 29 to file an appeal with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and request a hearing. That would make the deadline Feb. 27.
