Joan Rivers' Clinic Yorkville Endoscopy Vows to Stay Open
— -- Yorkville Endoscopy, where Joan Rivers went into cardiac arrest, is vowing to fight to stay open after losing both government and industry accreditation.
This week, the clinic lost not only certification from the federal agency that determines eligibility for Medicare reimbursements, but also accreditation from the nonprofit group that private insurers use to determine whether procedures can be covered.
Despite those losses, the clinic issued a statement to ABC News indicating its intention to remain viable.
"Yorkville Endoscopy LLC does not intend to cease operations. Yorkville is hoping to cooperate with regulators to have the recent decision reversed or modified," the clinic said.
This statement comes a day after the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities said the clinic "is no longer accredited by AAAASF and we have no further comment on the matter at this time," said Kim Kubiak, a spokeswoman for the organization.
Losing accreditation from the nonprofit AAAASF doesn't mean Yorkville Endoscopy has to close but it can no longer boast that it meets what is widely considered the industry standard for patient safety. The move could also affect reimbursement from private insurance carriers.
Pending an appeal, the clinic is set to lose Medicare reimbursements at the end of this month.
Yorkville also lost certification earlier in the week on Monday from Centers for Medicare Services.
Yorkville Endoscopy "no longer meets the conditions for coverage for a supplier of ambulatory surgical center services," the federal Centers for Medicare Services said on Monday. "Therefore, CMS is terminating the Medicare health benefits agreement between Yorkville Endoscopy and the secretary, effective Jan. 31."
Yorkville Endoscopy has said it would appeal. "We are continuing to work with all regulatory bodies,” the clinic said in a statement provided to ABC News on Monday. “We intend to communicate with CMS and appropriate authorities to have the decision reversed. Yorkville continues to be a licensed facility and perform procedures while cooperating with the regulatory process."
The clinic has been under fire ever since the iconic comedian went into cardiac arrest there, dying days later on Sept. 4 at the age of 81. The comedian's daughter, Melissa Rivers, has not commented on this most recent blow, though she has hired attorneys for a potential lawsuit against Yorkville Endoscopy.
