CMS Agrees Physicians Shouldn't be Penalized for Medical Complications Not Reasonably Preventable
Regarding fiscal year 2009 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes to expand the current list of eight Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HAC) to 17 total. The new total would include the following nine additional conditions:
- Staphylococcus aureus -scepticemic
- Clostridium difficile associated disease
- Surgical site infections following certain elective procedures
- Legionnaires’ disease
- Extreme blood sugar derangement
- Iatrogenic pneumothorax
- Delirium
- Ventilator-associated pneumonia
- Deep vein thrombosis/Pulmonary embolism
The Society worked with other medical societies on developing a response to the proposed HAC. The Society’s Clinical Guidelines and ICD Registry™ data were used to document the rate of occurrence of iatrogenic pneumothorax and indicate that those medical complications are not reasonably preventable at this time.
CMS issued a press release highlighting the final rule removing five of the potential HACs from the list of candidates, including Staphylococcus aureus-septicemia and iatrogenic pneumothorax.
Details on the Society’s Advocacy for its Members
Earlier this year the Heart Rhythm Society welcomed the opportunity to provide written comments on the CMS proposed rule for FY09 IPPS as published in the Federal Register on April 30, 2008. On June 13, 2008 the Society submitted comments focusing on the following:
- Expediting efforts for CMS to establish a separate cost center for implantable devices
- Highlighting the strategic direction of the ICD Registry
- Providing reasons why iatrogenic pneumothorax and Staphylococcus Aureus-septicemia should be removed from the Hospital-Acquired Conditions list
- Acknowledging the potential of gainsharing arrangements, among other issues
The final rule will appear in the August 19, 2008 Federal Register, and will be effective for discharges on or after October 1, 2008.
Download and read the Society’s complete comment letter (PDF, 220K).
