In a significant policy change, Bush administration officials say that Medicare will no longer pay the extra costs of treating preventable errors, injuries and infections that occur in hospitals, a move they say could save lives and millions of dollars.
Bravo! It's about time the government started sticking it to hospitals that don't care about the preventable errors, injuries and infections that occur in hospitals. Not paying for the cost of care associated with preventable errors in hospitals is one way to send a message, although I would have preferred public hangings, which is a much more effective, if not flamboyant, deterrent. In fact, there are a few waiters out there I wish could get the electric chair (of course, given the behavior of some restaurant patrons the waiters could certainly lobby for the converse).
What a sec - just exactly how does the government define the word "preventable"? Is this "preventable" like not wearing one's seatbelt, or "preventable" like getting a C in biology because one didn't study enough?
Among the conditions that will be affected are bedsores, or pressure ulcers; injuries caused by falls; and infections resulting from the prolonged use of catheters in blood vessels or the bladder. In addition, Medicare says it will not pay for the treatment of "serious preventable events" like leaving a sponge or other object in a patient during surgery and providing a patient with incompatible blood or blood products.
Excellent...excellent. Hit those hospitals in the only place where they feel pain - their pocketbooks. It's time to put an end to patient infections, patient falls, bedridden patients with festering wounds, forgotten sponges and mismatched blood.
Well, that was easy. Nothing like solving a problem by the power of the purse. It will be inspiring to read stories of hospitals across the nation squashing errors, and hear of government reports crowing about large sums of money and lives saved. That, my friends, is what the progressives call progress.
It's almost Nirvana - except for one small problem. The government's record on improving human behavior by fiat alone is less than superlative, which brings me back to the idea of public executions. Don't knock it - some countries, thought to be ideal places to live by a few of the more enlightened souls flittering around, whack misbehavers without a thought. What's that? You want us to withhold money needed to pay for your mistakes? Try this instead, Dude! Now we're talking compliance!
Life these days seems to be all about the carrot or the stick. Just between thee and me, I find it a lot more rewarding working for the gratification of the carrot than just to avoid the sting of the stick - and isn't being given a rewarding life what it's all about, Alfie?
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Yes, "preventable" is a problem. I'm not sure every fall, every decubitus ulcer, every nosocomial infection is preventable.
This may be a smoke screen to cover up what they plan to do, which is to dump unprofitable patients in an alley or in Skid Row.
This is a perfectly reasonable approach. Stopping reimbursements for preventable errors will hit hospitals in the pocketbook and force them to pay close attention to reducing those errors. However, perfection is not possible, and Medicare should modestly increase reimbursements for other procedures to keep hospitals from being pinched excessively. Change the incentive structure, not the ability of hospitals to provide adequate care. If the hospitals reduce preventable errors, they'll increase profit. If they don't, they'll decrease profit.
You say hitting hospitals in the pocketbook is a good step toward preventing errors, but in a pervious post you came out pretty strongly against medical malpractice lawsuits. Don't they serve similar functions? Keeping medical professionals on top of their game via the threat of financial loss?
Do you really in your wildest dreams think the hospital's are just going to absorb the cost for mistakes? "Oh, sorry Ms. Dance. That bedsore is looking bad there. You should have moved around a bit more, and maybe you should have told the nurse that IV line was festering. You need to stay here with us a few more days." And if my insurance doesn't cover it, I've already signed an agreement that I will pick up the costs.
Am I the only one who saw dripping sarcasm in this post?
emmy: "Do you really in your wildest dreams think the hospital's are just going to absorb the cost for mistakes?"
From the article: "The hospital cannot bill the beneficiary for any charges associated with the hospital-acquired complication"