Pennsylvania Among States Which Won't Charge Patients In Certain Hospital Mistakes
Pennsylvania hospitals are among 23 states which vow not to charge patients for certain medical malpractice events which are classified as "never events". Never events are medical malpractice mistakes that should never occur, such as operating on the wrong patient or wrong body part.
Last September, Minnesota became the first state to announce that its hospitals would no longer charge patients or insurers for avoidable errors. Within weeks, others states began following suit. Before September, a hospital would still charge a patient even in the circumstance of clear hospital error.
In Pennsylvania, hospitals will not bill Medicaid for 16 specific medical malpractice errors. They are:
1. Wrong surgical procedure on a patient
2. Patient death or serious disability from contaminated drugs, devices or biologics
3. Patient death or serious disability associated with use or function of a device other than as intended
4. Patient suicide or attempted suicide resulting in serious disability
5. Patient death or disability associated with medication administration error
6. Patient death from a fall while in the facility
7. Unexpected removal of organ
8. Unexpected amputation of limb
9. Death during or immediately after an operation in a normally healthy patient
10. Patient death or disability caused by incompatible ABO blood or products, two events
11. Maternal death or serious disability during labor or delivery of a low-risk pregnancy
12. Stage 3 or 4 pressure ulcers
13. Severe allergic reaction
14. Retention of a foreign object in a patient after surgery
15. Patient death or serious disability from a burn incurred from any source while in the healthcare facility
16. Patient death or disability associated with a medication error, two events.
At the same time, many of the nation's largest insurance providers — Cigna, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield — have announced they no longer will pay for serious, preventable mistakes.
All of these medical malpractice mistakes are situations that should NEVER OCCUR. This is why they are called "never events". In addition to not charging a patient for the errors, the patient or families should consult with a Medical Malpractice Lawyer for a full investigation of their claim.
