Currently medical mistakes are still being paid for. Medicare is seeking to change that:
The initial six conditions include: pressure ulcers, two hospital-acquired infections (catheter-associated urinary tract infections and Staphylococcus aureus septicemia) and three “never events” (air embolism, blood incompatibility and object left behind in surgical patient).
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This misguided Medicare rule will ultimately lead to more physicians limiting or eliminating their load of Medicare patients for several reasons. First, it will no longer be worthwhile for hospitals and physicians to care for very sick nursing home patients who are at high risk for catheter-related infections. Also, if a patient experiences any of these complications, they will be much more likely to file a lawsuit (in hopes of paying for what Medicare will no longer pay for).
I agree with the first poster. Those that will suffer withdrawal of support will be the most frail and those who need help but give indications of inability to comply completely with treatment, especially surgical postoperative care.
Sutures rupture, patients develop wound infections and other events occur that are complications despite good management. Should the patient and the doctor both be punished? Should anyone be punished at all? I don’t think so. It certainly does not benefit the doctor that his patient should have complications, even if it does mean more services (and BTW, additional services within the postoperative period do not compensate at full value anyway.)
It is time we saw this for what it is, a piecemeal shaving away and watering-down of benefits, designed to benefit the private insurance industry which will no doubt seize this as an opportunity to raise rates for the supplemental market to cover their increased “exposure.”
Once again, your tax dollars at work.
“The initial six conditions include: pressure ulcers, …”
How do they plan to distinguish primary pressure ulcers from secondary dysautonomic ulcers?
“… and three “never events” (air embolism, …”
Isn’t air embolism an expected complication of cranial surgery?
what about the (very common) scenario of a sick elderly nursing home patient returning from a prolonged hospital stay with new pressure ulcers?
will the doctors managing his/her pressure ulcer in the nursing home not get paid to do so?
this will inevitably mean patients like that getting carted back and forth frequently to the ER/ hospital for admission for infected necrotic mismanaged wounds. the ambulance ride alone is worth like 10 physician visits, and in NY medicaid pays for that!
This is needed to finance the war in Iraq.
So if they don’t pay for them I guess you don’t have to take care of them is what they are saying. Sorry maybe you can pay out of pocket for a shaman.
“This is needed to finance the war in Iraq”
Comments like this don’t help anyone.
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