The Safe Patient Project is a Consumers Union campaign focused on eliminating medical harm, improving FDA oversight of prescription drugs and promoting disclosure laws that give information to consumers about health care safety and quality.
Medicare
U.S. Congressman dies following surgical error, infection
Our leaders in Congress experience medical harm, too. On Monday, Politico reported that Pennsylvania U.S. Congressman John Murtha had died as a result of complications from recent gallbladder removal surgery at Bethesda Naval Hospital.
Categories: Hospital Acquired Infections, Medical Errors
Tags: HHS, Medicare, Patient Safety Day, surgical error, surgical site infection
RFO Encounters in Pennsylvania
You’ve heard of UFOs but have you heard of RFOs? 194 Pennsylvanians could tell you about their RFO encounter last year – that’s how many cases of “retained foreign objects” were reported to that state’s Patient Safety Authority in 2008.
Categories: Medical Errors
Tags: Medicare, RFO, surgical error, video
My Tweet to Secretary Sebelius
In 140 characters on Twitter, I asked a serious question about hospital-acquired infections.
Categories: Hospital Acquired Infections
Tags: HHS, Medicare, Patient Safety Day, public reporting
House health reform bill tackles hospital infections
Our message caught on! A coalition of House Democrats have included public reporting of hospital-acquired infections in their reform bill (HR 3200), and reducing payment to hospitals that aren’t doing enough to prevent infections.
Categories: Hospital Acquired Infections, MRSA
Tags: HHS, Medicare, public reporting, surgical site infection
Preventing hospital infections would save lives—and billions
Hospital groups have reportedly agreed to smaller payments for Medicare and Medicaid services, and less reimbursement for caring for the uninsured, if and when health reform is enacted. So far, however, health care reform proposals have not sufficiently addressed a key aspect that would save money and the lives of thousands of patients: Preventing hospital infections.
Categories: Hospital Acquired Infections
Tags: Medicare
NYT calls for doctors to be included in Medicare non-payment rules
The New York Times came out Sunday with a strong call for making the new Medicare rule to stop paying for care needed after hospitals harm their patients apply to physicians too, stating the current policy lets “doctors off scot-free.”
Categories: Hospital Acquired Infections, Medical Errors
Tags: CDC, HHS, Medicare, surgical site infection
Medicare won’t foot the bill for medical errors
Effective today, Medicare will stop compensating hospitals for the additional costs to treat patients who suffered from certain preventable infections and errors due to bad medical care.
Categories: Hospital Acquired Infections, Medical Errors
Tags: HHS, Medicare, surgical error, surgical site infection
Discount drug cards underscore need for a national solution
Some cities and counties are trying to fight high prescription drug costs, but we really need Congress to act.
Categories: Drugs & Medical Devices, Uncategorized
Tags: Medicare
Friday’s vote on Medicare negotiation
Check out how your House member voted on this important bill…
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Medicare
Important vote this Friday for lower drug prices!
As part of its first 100 hours agenda, the House will vote Friday on removing the prohibition preventing Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices.
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Medicare, Pharma
