Friday, March 12, 2010

Financial toll of Hospital Acquired Conditions (HACs)

The Healthcare Management Council, Inc. has released news that a 200-bed hospital can save up to $2 million a year by eliminating HACs. From their news release:
Using federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) indicators, HMC has analyzed the performance of hundreds of facilities ranging in size from 75 beds to over 800 beds. Now in a recent study, HMC identified the top Hospital Acquired Conditions (HACs) and established how much extra care each of these HACs requires. HACs have resulted in nonpayment from Medicare and Medicaid, and in the future, private insurers will likely stop covering HAC-related costs, as well.
The most common HACs are (in order of prevalence)
  • Decubitis ulcers
  • Postoperative pulmonary embolism and deep-vein thrombosis (DVT)
  • Accidental puncture and laceration
  • Post-operative respiratory failure
  • Infections due to medical care
Click here to access HMC's news release.

No comments: