We previously reported that later this year (October) Medicare will no longer pay for what it calls “never events” which occur in America’s hospitals. These errors or acts of medical malpractice are called “never events” because they are so costly and egregious they should never happen.
It how appears that the largest health insurer in western Virginia, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, has decided to join the effort and just announced it will no longer pay for the following medical mistakes:
1. Operating on the wrong body part.
2. Performing the wrong procedure on a patient.
3. Leaving medical supplies (needles, sponges, etc.) inside a patient.
4. Operating on the wrong patient.
Kudos to Anthem! But what do you think western Virginia’s largest hospital, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, reaction will be? My guess is that any “losses” incurred by Anthem’s refusal to pay hospital bills will be recouped by increased billing of the uninsured and those patients who have health insurance but the company has refused to negotiate with Carilion for volume discounts.
Face it Roanoke, Carilion became a medical giant because it knows how to make money…..lots of money!