More states shred bills for awful medical errors

[katty]

more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26081421/

More states shred bills for awful medical errors
Patients in 23 states will no longer pay for certain mistakes, hospitals say

By JoNel Aleccia
Health writer
MSNBC
updated 5:44 a.m. PT, Tues., Aug. 12, 2008

Hospitals in nearly half the states in the nation now say they won’t bill patients for the worst kind of medical mistakes, including operating on the wrong body part or the wrong person, or giving someone the wrong blood.

The list has more than doubled since February, when an msnbc.com analysis showed that hospital associations in 11 states urged their members to waive payment for specific errors dubbed “never events” because they should never happen at all.

“It really does go to the heart of our patients’ confidence,” said Craig Becker, president of the Tennessee Hospital Association, which adopted a plan in June. “When you look at these adverse events, these are pretty gross errors.”

[flashl]

1. its' hard to imagine, a medical mistake and a bill. nt

[angstlessk]

2. well...it DID cost us money to cut off your good leg, ya know...it ain't cheap

cuttin off limbs...pay up!!! how horrid would that bill be to pay instead of your say...artifical limb replacement bill??

[CoffeeCat]

3. The best aspects of our healthcare system...

...are some of the best in the world. We have some of the world's most
talented and brilliant medical experts, as well as the latest technologies.

However, the worst things about our healthcare system, are like something
out of a rinky-dink banana republic.

You're truly at the mercy of current circumstances when it comes to our
healthcare system. If you have health insurance, a great doctor and top-notch facilities--you're
golden. However, if you spin the wheel and end up with people who aren't paying
attention--then you might as well have you surgery done in Haiti by a guy who runs a tiki cart.

Our country is such a crap shoot sometimes.