The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services complex outside of Baltimore has been closed since Friday.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services headquarters, near Baltimore, has been temporarily closed after officials discovered Legionella bacteria in a construction project. The Baltimore-area headquarters of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are closed after bacteria linked to a serious pneumonia called Legionnaire’s disease was discovered in the water supply.
Officials described the move as precautionary and said they were not aware of any staff suffering health issues related to the bacteria. The General Services Administration found the Legionella bacteria when testing new plumbing fixtures before reopening construction sites at CMS headquarters, which has been undergoing renovations. The building was shuttered Friday.
“The health and safety of the CMS workforce is our top priority. In an abundance of caution, we have closed our location in Baltimore until the situation is resolved,” the agency told The Washington Post in a statement, adding that employees and contractors had shifted to remote work. “CMS’ work will continue seamlessly without disruption.”Officials said they expected the headquarters to remain closed for several weeks as they treat the water and conduct additional testing.
The CMS headquarters, at 7500 Security Blvd. outside of Baltimore, historically has been home to several thousand workers who oversee and implement programs such as Medicare, the government health insurance program for older Americans; Medicaid, the joint federal-state program for low-income Americans; and the Affordable Care Act, the 2010 law that helped provide health coverage and included other changes to the U.S. health system.
It is not clear how many CMS workers have been on campus in recent months after staff largely shifted to remote work during thehave tried to crack down on Legionella bacteria and Legionnaire’s disease across the health system. The bacteria can grow in building water systems; be spread by aerosolized water droplets emitted by shower heads, fountains and other common devices; and pose particular risk to older Americans or people with compromised immune systems.
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