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Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Medicare Didn't Investigate Suspicious Reports Of Hospital Infections

Almost 100 hospitals reported suspicious data on dangerous infections to Medicare officials, but the agency did not follow up or examine any of the cases in depth, according to a report by the Health and Human Services inspector general's office.

Most hospitals report how many infections strike patients during treatment, meaning the infections are likely contracted inside the facility. Each year, Medicare is supposed to review up to 200 cases in which hospitals report suspicious infection-tracking results.

The IG said Medicare should have done an in-depth review of 96 hospitals that submitted "aberrant data patterns" in 2013 and 2014. Such patterns could include a rapid change in results, improbably low infection rates or assertions that infections nearly always struck before patients arrived at the hospital.

The IG's report, released Thursday, was designed to address concerns over whether hospitals are "gaming" a system in which it falls to the hospitals to report patient-infection rates and, in turn, the facilities can see a bonus or a penalty worth millions of dollars.

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Of course not, it takes time and money to do those things, and no one want to take the time or sue the money, plus they want you all dead anyway, especially the older people...

Anonymous said...

Good news for PRMC right!

Anonymous said...

And AGH keeps things hidden by shipping anything more then a simple cut across the bridge.

Anonymous said...

@8:35 stop with the lies! I was hit by a tractor trailer in September and AGH saved my life with multiple surgeries!