Healthcare costs are expected to rise more than 10% into 2009, according to a survey of insurers by Aon Consulting Worldwide. The increase is the smallest Aon has seen in six years, however, and experts say it shows that efforts to tame costs may be paying off. Health insurers have offered disease management programs and encouraged the use of cheaper generic drugs to help contain costs, and employer wellness programs also have played a role in the cost decreases, experts say.
Hospitals in nearly half the states in the nation now say they won't bill patients for medical mistakes, including operating on the wrong body part or the wrong person, or giving someone the wrong blood. The list has more than doubled since February, when an analysis showed that hospital associations in 11 states urged their members to waive payment for "never events." It's not clear how many private patients or their insurers are still billed for medical mistakes, but a recent study by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality estimated that preventable errors that occur during or after surgery may cost employers nearly $1.5 billion a year.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee has agreed to pay $2.1 million to settle a federal complaint over Medicare charges in New Jersey. The U.S. Justice Department said the settlement involves Riverbend Government Benefit Administrators, a BlueCross subsidiary that provides Medicare payment services for about 4,300 healthcare providers in 47 states. A BlueCross statement said the company did not adjust cost-to-charge ratios quickly, resulting in overcharges to several New Jersey hospitals while processing and paying Medicare claims.
A patient having heart pacemaker surgery at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis was burned on her face, lips and shoulder when a fire burst out from under the sterile drapes covering her body. State health investigators found that the hospital violated safety and procedural policies that contributed to the incident. Abbott reported the incident to the Minnesota Department of Health, and the report said that doctors and hospital staff involved in the incident have been "re-educated" on safety protocols.
Officials at South Carolina-based Palmetto Health Baptist have unveiled a new neonatal ICU, which is part of a $57 million project at the facility. The new unit has been designated as Level III, and includes 17 single rooms with one nurse's station for every two rooms. Palmetto Baptist's maternity unit delivers about 4,000 babies a year, and about 10% require some level of neonatal intensive care, said Palmetto Health officials. The rooms in the new unit are outfitted with the latest monitoring equipment and are designed to stimulate brain development. Special equipment includes a phone system to alert nurses of a change in vital signs, foot-controlled hand washing stations, and a communication center for patients and caregivers.
There are too few primary care doctors and nurses to meet growing healthcare needs, according to a report released by the National Association of Community Health Centers. The study also found availability depends on location, and a serious shortage of family physicians can be found in rural and poorer communities. Although many of these people are insured, 56 million Americans do not have a regular source of healthcare due to shortages of physicians in their communities, according to the report.