Medicare admission criteria for diabetes mellitus in Florida.

Abstract

Medicare criteria for admission of patients to hospitals are the responsibility of Peer Review Organizations in each state. In 1986, in Florida, an attempt was made to introduce stricter than previously accepted admission criteria for diabetes mellitus. The new criteria were found to be unacceptable to many physicians and potentially dangerous. This article describes how a group of endocrinologists and diabetologists were able to impact on the Florida Peer Review Organization and change the criteria to allow for more acceptable standards without jeopardizing the review process.