The University of Chicago Medical Center could lose its Medicare funding in June if it does not pass a state inspection, following an elderly man's death in February that violated federal law, officials say.

Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services found the hospital violated federal law by not attending to an elderly man in its waiting room. The man died four hours after his arrival on Feb. 3, apparently going unnoticed by nurses.

The university was required to submit a correction plan following the man's death. CMS accepted the measures U of C says it put in place last month, including re-educating staff about patient procedure, monitoring the emergency waiting room and punishing those responsible for the man's lapsed care.

The Illinois Department of Public Health will conduct an unannounced inspection between now and June 15, says Karen Lange, a program representative for CMS Region 5, which includes Illinois. If the inspection finds U of C failed to implement the changes, it will lose its Medicare funding.

The federal agency also said in a Tuesday letter that in a matter unrelated to the Feb. 3 death, U of C was not compliant with federal building standards, a violation first cited by the Illinois Department of Public Health in December 2006. The letter did not specify the type of violations.

The medical center must correct violations or risk losing more federal funding.

However, Lange says, the government allows more leniency for correcting building problems. If unforeseen obstacles arise, the hospital could have more time to fix the problems.

A U of C Medical Center spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.

It was not clear yesterday how much Medicare money the medical center could lose. Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people age 65 or older. Hospitals get reimbursement for services provided to Medicare patients.