California Could Stop Paying for Serious Hospital Errors

Susy Owen

Attorney

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Californian’s can expect to see changes in what Medicare will cover. In the latter part of 2008 Medicare will no longer pay for what they consider ‘preventable errors' in hospitals.

Under bill AB2146, errors such as objects being left inside patients, and patients who receive the wrong blood type will no longer be covered. The idea is that these are preventable errors. Many hospitals argue that some conditions on the ‘hit list’ are not entirely preventable i.e., bed sores.

California is not alone with respect to non-coverage of preventable errors. According to the LA Times " Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York have restricted payments for avoidable medical errors. And hospital associations in Minnesota, Washington and Vermont have pledged never to bill patients for the costs of correcting errors.

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