By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    health benefits of taking a vacation to reduce stress
    Relaxing European Destinations to Reduce Stress Risks to Health
    October 11, 2021
    pain management tips
    Managing Pain Differently: Alternative Pain Management Techniques
    January 12, 2022
    5 Ways to Promote Wellness in Your Home
    April 12, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    July 31, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Hospital Training Using Virtual World and Avatars
    May 20, 2011
    Health Wonk Review: Mud Season Edition
    March 16, 2014
    Video: ICD-10 National Provider Call
    October 24, 2011
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Medical Errors Earn Hospitals Money: Who Knew?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Finance > Medical Errors Earn Hospitals Money: Who Knew?
BusinessFinanceHospital AdministrationPolicy & Law

Medical Errors Earn Hospitals Money: Who Knew?

Michael Kirsch
Michael Kirsch
Share
5 Min Read
medical errors
SHARE

Though I have been accused by various commenters as protecting my own specialty when I point out excesses, flaws and conflicts of interest in the medical profession, this accusation would be handily dismantled after a fair reading of prior posts.  Indeed, my own specialty of gastroenterology and my own medical practice has felt the effects of the honed Whistleblower scalpel.

Though I have been accused by various commenters as protecting my own specialty when I point out excesses, flaws and conflicts of interest in the medical profession, this accusation would be handily dismantled after a fair reading of prior posts.  Indeed, my own specialty of gastroenterology and my own medical practice has felt the effects of the honed Whistleblower scalpel. If an individual or an institution will not willingly engage in self-criticism, then it creates a credibility gap that may be impossible to bridge.  If you want a seat at the table, then arrive exposed and humble.

 
medical errors
My Preferred Instruments
 
A study was published in the prestigious medical journal JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, in April 2013 publishing what we have known for decades: hospitals make more money when medical errors are committed.   As an aside, I have much more respect for JAMA than I do for the AMA, but I’ll resist the strong temptation to digress.
 
Here’s how it has worked in the past.  If a patient is hospitalized with an inflamed gallbladder and is discharged a day later after surgery, the hospital would be reimbursed according to a specific fee schedule.   (Payment systems for hospitalized patients are more complex than this, but accept the above example for the moment.)  If this same patient undergoes complications after surgical removal of the gallbladder, the hospital would be paid more.   If an infection at the incision site, or the patient develops a reaction to medication that may lead to more testing, then the hospital bill will understandably increase.  The issue is if hospitals or physicians should be able to charge more for extra care that was preventable.
  
There is an inexorable movement away from fee-for-service medicine which antagonists argue lead directly to excessive care.  Value based care is the new concept where quality, not quantity, will be measured and reimbursed.  There is a growing Never Events list where certain medical complications that are designated as events that should never happen, will never be reimbursed.  While this concept sounds attractive in a sound bite, my view on Never Events is more nuanced.
 
The argument to withhold payment for care that resulted from medical error is potent.  Keep in mind that defining a medical error is not as easy as it sounds.  One can easily imagine how easy it would be too confuse a medical complication, which is a blameless event, from an error or a negligent act.  If I perform a colonoscopy and a perforation develops as a complication, should the hospital and surgeon I consult not be paid for the additional care that would be required?
 
Would every profession consent to returning fees for mistaken advice or service?  Do you agree with the following?
  • Financial advisors should return fees if investment performance is below a designated threshold or differs from their peers.
  • Attorneys who have been found on appeal to have offered ineffective legal arguments at trial, should surrender their fees.
  • A professional baseball player who drops a fly ball should lose a day’s pay.
  • A newspaper publisher should offer a rebate to all readers if a news story is found to be inaccurate owing to a lack of proper editorial oversight. 
I realize that medical mistakes cost money, as do some of the hypothetical examples above.  I also accept that financial incentives can change behavior and can be an effective tool.  But every human endeavor has a finite error rate and we should be cautious before using a financial drone attack against only the medical profession.  Let’s use a scalpel here and not a sledge hammer.  And those of you outside of medicine, explain why your occupation should be spared from this reform strategy?
 
If to err is human, and doctors are human, then should we punished for our humanity?
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Healthcare’s Most Disruptive: Next-Gen Genomics, Memory Implants

June 19, 2013

Why the PCORI Picks Matter

April 7, 2013
Health careHome HealthMental Health

Mental Health And Debt: How Are They Associated

July 29, 2019
beyond the buzz
BusinessSocial Media

Beyond the Buzz: Let’s Get Visual with Healthcare Social Media

February 27, 2015
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?