Medicare and a Never-Event Involving a Patient Transfer Case

Medicare and a Never-Event Involving a Patient Transfer Case

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is a state agency that provides health insurance program that covers medical expenses for the aged mostly from age 65, young people with various diseases such as diabetes, end stage renal disease among others (Cleverley, 2010). The insurance program also covers other medical bills which include costs incurred by hospitals and nursing facilities due to serious medical errors and injuries that should have never happened to a patient or “never events”. Never events mostly are when a surgery has been done at the wrong place or a patient acquires pressure ulcers (bedsores) while in hospital. However, since October 2008, CMS introduced a policy that saw the reimbursement for these “never events” reduced (Cleverley, 2010).

Pressure Ulcers

Bedsores are injuries to the skin and the tissues that lie under the skin (Reddy, 2006). Pressure ulcer mostly affects skin that covers the bony areas such as tailbone, heels, ankles and hips. These injuries occur when there is much pressure exerted at the same place of the body. In most case, people with medical conditions that inhibit their change of position and are forced to be on wheel chairs or are bed ridden are affected. The pressure prevents flow of sufficient blood to the skin and the tissues around hence causing these injuries (Reddy, 2006). There are factors that determine whether patients at risk of developing pressure ulcers receive good skin care. One, appropriate clinical services will stop at risk patient from developing bedsores. The hygiene of the at-risk patient is also a major factor that tells whether there is good skin care delivered. In addition, the extent of infection of the patient clearly indicates the level of skin care the patient has been receiving. Timely diagnosis and treatment of the pressure ulcers is another factor in bed sores management. Hospitals with good skin care facilities are able...