Never Events: Pressure Sores, Medical Mistakes and Treatment Failures
Medicare recently announced an expansion of it's never events list. Importantly, pressure ulcers (bedsores) in the acute care setting are formally characterized as "reasonably preventable." To the extent that hospitals injure patients for events which never should occur, Medicare will not pay them. Beyond that - Medicare will no longer pay hospitals for the treatment needed for the fallout of never events.
Most observers believe that the never event policy will soon find it's way into long term care (ie. nursing homes). This would be consistent with the regulations already in existence regarding the mandate that avoidable pressure ulcers should never develop in nursing homes.
You can click on this hyperlink for more information:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/126375.php
