Paying for care after medical mistakes

Almost $20 billion was spent on medical errors in 2008, most of which were costs associated with providing follow-up care due to the errors. Who pays for this additional care—the patient, the insurer, the hospital—is not always clear, according to an article in The Washington Post.

“If the [need for further] care was preventable, we’re waiving bills,” said David Mayer, vice president of quality and safety for MedStar Health, which operates 10 hospitals in the Baltimore/Washington area.

However, many hospitals do not have rules for how to handle the costs for care caused by errors. Therefore, a number of professional and safety groups are urging more hospitals to adopt them. Supporters include the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association, Leapfrog, the National Quality Forum, The Joint Commission, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Source: The Washington Post