By now most Americans have read that Medicare has decided it will not pay hospital bills for "Never Events," which are defined as errors in medical care that are clearly identifiable, preventable, and serious in their consequences for patients, and indicate a real problem in the safety and credibility of a health care facility. Never Events include operating on the wrong patient, wrong site surgeries, or giving a patient incompatible blood.
Now, according to a recent article on MSNBC.com, hospitals in nearly half the states in the nation say they won’t bill patients for Never Events. Unfortunately, Virginia is not one of those states!
But why do we have to wait on the Virginia General Assembly to pass legislation? Why don't our hospitals just agree to implement what is a fair and reasonable policy?
What is the policy at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Lewis-Gale Hospital, Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County, Danville Regional Medical Center, Stonewall Jackson Hospital, Carilion New River Valley Hospital, Montgomery Regional Hospital, Wellmont Bristol Regional Hospital, Carilion Giles Memorial Hospital, Alleghany Regional Hospital, Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital, and Tazewell Community Hospital?
Come on hospitals....I would like to read your responses.
Friday, August 15, 2008
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1 comments:
Hi Dan,
You're right on this one - we shouldn't need to wait for legislation, or policy recommendations from state hospital associations the MSNBC article refers to. Carilion does not bill for "never events".
It has always been our practice not to bill for such events. Late last year, we officially made it a policy. as reported in the Roanoke Times in this article:
http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/152156
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