Minnesota health plan won't pay hospitals for medical errors

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04344/423960.stm

If a surgeon amputates the wrong leg, the patient's health plan shouldn't pay for the operation.

And if a hospital sends new parents home with the wrong baby, there should be a financial penalty.

Those are examples of one Minnesota health plan's policy that, beginning in January, will deny hospital payments for some clearly defined medical errors.

Dr. George J. Isham, medical director for Bloomington-based HealthPartners, told a group of more than 50 human resources and benefits executives at a Downtown meeting that his company didn't expect that the policy would lower overall health-care costs. But the change is a first step toward a broader shift that ultimately could save money by tying medical payments to quality, Isham said.

[TaleWgnDg]

1. And here's a written tally of ALL the medical including hospital

errors that cause injuries and deaths across America . . .

READ HOW MANY TIMES . . . how many injuries? "Medical mistakes . . . a leading cause of death. With up to 98,000 US patients dying annually." (and that's only the dying but doesn't include those who are injured but don't die)

And, oh, BTW, remember that George Walker Bush wants to cut-off people from going to court to sue these hospitals, these MDs (many of whom are incorporated). . . Yes, this is what so-called "tort reform" is all about . . . stopping plaintiffs attorneys ability to sue corporations on behalf on injured clients and their families.


http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2004/11/09/five_years_later_medical_errors_stilla_leading_killer?pg=full

edited to add: These astronomical figures are why that Minnesota insurer does not want to carry liability coverage for hospital injuries and deaths -- it's so damn bad that if insurers were to cover these injuries, the premiums would be too damn high due to the high numbers of injuries and death claims. The insuring company would not be profitable and it's stock-holders would yell bloody hell.

And, it's not the fault of lawyers as George Walker Bush says, instead it's caused by hospitals and MDs who refuse to police themselves and remove the lousy MDs and lousy patient care in hospitals.