Bracing themselves, no doubt, for Medicare's pending rules banning payment for some preventable problems [1], about half of Massachusetts hospitals are now waiving charges for serious medical errors.

A total of 33 of 61 hospitals reporting data to employer organization The Leapfrog Group told the group that they'd stopped charging for 28 "never events," such as wrong-site surgery, leaving a foreign object in a surgery patient and serious medication errors. Hospitals listed as having this policy include Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Caritas Christi Health Care and Tufts-New England Medical Center.

The hospitals are responding not only to pressure from Medicare--which is certainly potent on its own--but also to the local political climate. A state senator has recently filed legislation which would prohibit hospitals from charging for such events.

To get more information on this trend:
- read this piece [2] from The Boston Globe

Related Articles:
By 2008, Medicare won't pay for hospital errors. Report [3]
Other payors may follow CMS's 'no pay' lead. Report [4]
Business says 'no pay' for major mistakes. Report [5]
Study: Wrong-site surgeries, close calls are common. Report [6]