Washington State Health Care Associations Announce Resolution To Stop Charges For Preventable Medical Errors

Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 31 Jan 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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Washington state health care providers no longer will charge for preventable hospital errors under a resolution announced on Tuesday by Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) and officials of several state health care associations, the Seattle Times reports. The resolution -- by the Washington State Medical Association, the Washington State Hospital Association and the Washington Ambulatory Surgery Center Association -- will apply to 28 "never events," such as surgical procedures on the wrong patient or wrong part of the body, leaving medical instruments inside a body following surgery, illnesses or disabilities resulting from tainted medications or instruments, and other avoidable errors. The resolution is voluntary, but leaders of the associations say they expect hospitals, physicians and surgery centers around the state to comply.

The resolution is similar to agreements adopted in several other states, as well as to a rule introduced last year by CMS to ban Medicare payments for eight preventable conditions that can be acquired in hospitals. In addition, Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association this month announced an agreement to stop payments to hospitals for treatment that results from serious medical errors (Ostrom, Seattle Times, 1/29).

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