Two El Paso hospitals will have funding withheld after being penalized by federal inspectors for having patients who developed health problems while hospitalized.
The penalties against University Medical Center of El Paso and El Paso Specialty Hospital will result in a 1 percent reduction in their total Medicare payment for the current fiscal year.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says patients at both facilities developed "hospital-acquired conditions," such as infections or other complications.
UMC officials say they treat underinsured patients with serious illnesses or wounds who often require long hospitalizations and are susceptible to infection.
The other hospital did not respond to messages for comment.
There are 43 hospitals in Texas, and 720 nationwide, that incurred the 1 percent penalty.
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Information from: El Paso Times, http://www.elpasotimes.com
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