Feds target glycemic coma

Medicare proposes adding Lisa's
'never event' to its no-pay list

The following paragraph appears in a press announcement released on April 14 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). (Emphasis added.)

"CMS is seeking public comment on enhancements to the preventable hospital acquired conditions (HAC) policy, including the relationship of HACs to the National Quality Forum’s (NQF) list of Serious Reportable Adverse Events (“never events”). As we noted last year, CMS adopted several items from the NQF’s list of events as HACs, including retained foreign object after surgery, air embolism, blood incompatibility, stage III & IV pressure ulcers, falls, electric shock, and burns. CMS is now seeking comments regarding our proposal to add glycemic control, including hypoglycemic coma, to the list of selected conditions that will no longer result in higher Medicare payment when acquired in the hospital. Hypoglycemic coma is closely related to NQF’s listing of death or serious disability associated with hypoglycemia."

As has been reported here, several health insurers have already said they will no longer pay for treatment needed as a result of hypoglycemia that occurs while a person is a patient in a healthcare facility.

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