Jefferson General Hospital is appealing a decision by the state Department of Health to allow a rival for-profit hospice program to start up operations in the county.
The hospital is fighting a decision in January to grant Medicare certification to Assured Home Health and Hospice, saying the survival of its own 18-year-old hospice program will be threatened if the company moves in.
In an appeal filed April 10, the hospital said the Department of Health failed to adequately consider whether there was a big enough market for both companies when it approved Medicare certification for Port Townsend-based Jefferson General and Chehalis-based Assured three months ago.
——————–
