Now that we score nursing homes, is it time to do the same with hospitals?
I recently received an email from the National Decubitus Foundation mentioning how only a handful of states currently require hospitals to report the incidence of 'never events' to authorities that occur at their facilities. Consequently, the patient / consumer is left in the dark when it comes to 'good' vs. 'bad' hospitals. 'Never events' are preventable medical errors that the government (Medicare) has deemed so unnecessary that hospitals can not bill Medicare for medical treatment related to a patients subsequent care. Here is an excerpt of the email: Hospitals Resist Reporting Several States Trying to Enforce Disclosure Laws Only a...
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Medicare No Longer To Pay For 'Reasonably Prevenatable' Medical Errors
As of October 1, 2008 Medicare is no longer reimbursing hospitals for reasonably preventable medical errors. The medical facilities will similarly no longer be able to charge patients directly for medical care resulting in errors. Called 'never events'--because the medical errors were never intended to occur, the below is a list of the never events and well as their reported frequency in 2007. The below chart was published in The New York Times article on 'never events.' We at The Chicago Nursing Home Law Blog applaud this important development towards improving patient safety. We will soon be highlighting each of...
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