The Michigan Health & Hospital Association joins a growing list of hospital associations, states and payers who have adopted policies to stop billing patients for certain serious preventable errors ("never events") and hospital-acquired conditions. This follows on from Medicare's decision to cease payment from 2008, for specific hospital medical errors.

From the Modern Healthcare News: Massachusetts will no longer pay for care related to serious hospital errors (“never-events”).

They will end reimbursement for care related to 28 serious reportable events, defined by the National Quality Forum (NQF).

More on Article: Massachusetts to halt payment for ‘never events’

From HealthData Management: Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield is now offering members services through Google Health. Members will be able to import claims data into their personal health records.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
http://www.bluecrossma.com/common/en_US/index.jsp

Google Health
http://www.google.com/health

Government Health IT: The Massachusetts Public Health Council voted to require hospitals to report rates of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) for an online report card to be posted on a state government Web site. Consumers will be able to view the infection rate of their local hospital and also compare it with the rates of other hospitals in the state.

The Massachusetts Public Health Council voted to require hospitals to report rates of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) for an online report card to be posted on a state government Web site, reports Government Health IT. Consumers will not only be able to view the infection rate of their local hospital but compare it with those of other hospitals in the state.

Massachusetts State health regulators yesterday approved a plan to issue report cards on infection rates for each hospital and to post that information on a state government website, reports The Boston Globe. It is not clear when the information will be posted on a website, in part because the Department of Public Health and another agency are considering combining quality data on a single site.

The Massachusetts Hospital Association this week began using its Patients First Web site to post the rates of pressure ulcers, or bed sores, at hospitals statewide, reports iHealthbeat. As previously blogged, the Web site already includes data on patient falls at hospitals and nurse staffing plans.

Fierce Healthcare reports that Aetna and WellPoint have begun to include provisions in some contracts that they will not pay for (or let patients be billed for) care related to 28 "never events" compiled by the National Quality Forum. Aetna is including provisions in contracts with hospitals which bar payment for all 28 never event.

Modern Healthcare reports that Massachusetts hospitals will adopt a voluntary no-charge policy beginning in 2008 for certain adverse patient events.

A news item on KaiserNetwork.org looks at several states that have begun requiring hospitals to disclose prices paid for services - with three states being at the forefront of providing more information on hospital prices and how they can vary; including New Hampshire, Oregon and Massachusetts:

- New Hampshire is disclosing the median amount specific health plans pay hospitals or clinics for about 30 common procedures;

The Massachusetts Hospital Association will begin posting information on its Web site about the number of patient falls at individual hospitals, rehabilitation centers and long-term care hospitals, reports iHealthBeat.

The Web site is intended to help consumers make better decisions about where to seek care and will allow insurers and employers to study the data and account for the hospital's safety record when they negotiate payment rates

AHA News reports that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will solicit home health agencies in seven states to participate in a two-year pay-for-performance demonstration to begin in January. The states are Alabama, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts and Tennessee.

The following is a summary of legislation by state regarding the disclosure by hospitals of their hospital infection rates.

Arkansas

iHealthBeat reports on state-appointed panel in Massachusett's debate on mandate for hospital infection reporting. The panel recommended that Massachusetts hospitals be mandated to report some hospital-acquired infection rates to the public, the state and internally. State Legislature is also working on a plan to mandate infection reporting, although only the Public Health Council has the power to approve such regulations.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA has made available online, information on their performance in quality improvement standards in specific clinical areas and hospital-wide measures. The specific clincial areas made available include heart care, pneumonia, surgical care, and orthopaedics. Their Website (www.bidmc.harvard.edu) also contains hospital-wide measures, such as nursing care at BIDMC and infections. Along with clincial and hospital-wide measures, they are also making available information on Patients' Experience of Care - including Emergency, Inpatient, Outpatient Surgery and Ambulatory Care.