Saint Francis Health System, the twelfth largest hospital in the nation, keeps a candle lit inside its hospital chapels, in accordance with its Catholic faith. The candle is encased in glass and covered on top and has been approved repeatedly by the local fire marshal. The chapel’s living flame was never a problem in decades’ worth of prior accreditation surveys.
Recently the Administration’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the largest health care payer in the country, decided a single candle was dangerous and threatens to strip the hospital of the ability to accept Medicare, Medicaid, or Children's Health Insurance Program if it does not extinguish the flame. This action would stop Saint Francis from being able to treat elderly and poor patients.
