BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from George Isham, M.D., medical director, HealthPartners:
Minnesota’s hospitals, physicians, nurses and HealthPartners have a shared goal: to assure that medical care provided to our patients and members is as safe as possible. To make sure that patients never have to pay for a “never event,” HealthPartners announced that it would no longer pay for hospital care associated with these rare but serious medical errors.
We all agree that patients should not pay for medical care made necessary by one of these errors. This is especially important as consumers are asked to bear more of the costs of their care through premiums, deductibles and co- payments.
We applaud hospitals that already waive costs associated with never events and want to work with hospitals, physicians, nurses and others to make sure that this is the case for every patient, every time.
HealthPartners
HealthPartners is a consumer governed non-profit health care organization committed to improving the health of its members, patients and the community. Founded in 1957, HealthPartners provides care and coverage to 630,000 members across Minnesota through a broad network of physicians and hospitals, including HealthPartners Clinics. HealthPartners commercial and Medicare+Choice plans have received the highest rating of “Excellent” from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Physicians and employees in 52 locations are dedicated to providing the best care -- patient centered care that includes disease management and prevention, innovative inpatient and outpatient services, hospice, pharmacy, health improvement, research and medical education.
HealthPartners
CONTACT: Chris Reese of HealthPartners, +1-952-883-5304, or Pager,+1-651-629-2110, Christian.L.Reese@HealthPartners.com