Health insurer WellPoint has taken a stand that most other U.S. insurers are likely to follow: It has announced that it, in coming months, will no longer pay for care resulting from serious medical error. WellPoint will start by denying payment for three never events: foreign objects left in patients after surgery, operations on wrong body parts and operating on the wrong patient. It's also refusing payment for hospital-acquired injuries, pressure ulcers, air embolisms, blood incompatibility, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, vascular catheter-associated infections, hospital-acquired injuries and chest infections after CABG. It is, of course, following CMS's lead, which announced last year that it would stop paying [1] for treatment related to certain adverse events.
To learn more about WellPoint's decision:
- read this Modern Healthcare piece [2](reg. req.)
Related Articles:
By 2008, Medicare won't pay for hospital errors. Report [1]
Others payers may follow CMS's 'no pay' lead. Report [3]
BCBS plans phasing out pay for errors, 'never events.' Report [4]
Business say 'no pay' for major mistakes. Report [5]
Study: Wrong-site surgeries, close calls are common. Report [6]
Links:
[1] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/2008-medicare-wont-pay-hospital-errors/2007-08-14
[2] http://www.modernhealthcare.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080402/REG/650014017
[3] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/others-payors-may-follow-cmss-no-pay-lead/2007-08-31
[4] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/bcbs-plans-phasing-out-pay-errors-never-events/2007-11-13
[5] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/businesses-say-no-pay-for-major-mistakes/2006-11-17
[6] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/study-wrong-site-surgeries-close-calls-common/2007-06-27