New York Medicaid to deny payment for hospital errors

AP/Yahoo News, June 9, 2008

Beginning in October, New York hospitals won't be able to bill Medicaid for "never events" such as mistakes during surgery, medication errors and other deadly complications caused by preventable hospital blunders. The goal is to shift the burden to hospitals, practices and doctors if they make a dangerous mistake, and the state health department expects to save $6 million from the change. New York's Medicaid program is among the most expensive in the nation, costing taxpayers $47 billion annually.