In light of recent publicity about preventable errors that occur in hospitals (see our blog items here and here for starters), hospitals in 23 states now say they won’t bill patients for the worst kind of medical mistakes that are made there – including operating on the wrong body part or the wrong person, or giving someone the wrong blood, according to an MSNBC.com analysis.
This is an increase from MSNBC’s February survey, which reflected hospital associations in only 11 states on board with that concept.
Kansas — home to the Kansas Hospital Association — is on the list. According to our medical mistakes billing policies, Kansas hospitals are encouraged not to bill for at least seven preventable hospital-based mistakes. See the interactive map here.
3 Comments
That’s the trouble with the medical, dental and hospital businesses in a nutshell … they don’t guarantee anything they do and when they screw up, they still try to charge you.
No doubt. You don’t think hospitals are going eat those costs themselves, do you? *Somebody’s* got to pay!
Did they say not BILL? Be careful when you get your next bill in the mail cause they might try to adjust other areas (hidden fees for their mistakes). I was one of them that was billed incorrectly but still had to cough up the dough!