WellPoint stops paying for never events

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 for treatment related to certain adverse events.

To learn more about WellPoint's decision:
- read this Modern Healthcare piece (reg. req.)

Related Articles:
By 2008, Medicare won't pay for hospital errors. Report
Others payers may follow CMS's 'no pay' lead. Report
BCBS plans phasing out pay for errors, 'never events.' Report
Business say 'no pay' for major mistakes. Report
Study: Wrong-site surgeries, close calls are common. Report

Post a comment