Health Reform, Too Tough on Hospital Readmission

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My mother and mother in law were readmitted for preventable infections. My mother in law died.

My father was readmitted several times for a hospital aquired infection from surgery. He died months later arguably due to problems from the original surgery.

I think the system is better if the hospital pays for neglect and families have influence as to whether a stay or death is classified as hospital aquired.

There is no question that physicians and hospitals game system payment and cover up quality problems. At least we should have accurate reporting and death certificates.

A review process for readmissions should be instituted to decide if an original hospital should pay.

Eriemaster of OH 2:27PM May 01, 2009

that Obama is targeting re-admission because of the "gaming" of the system, where hospitals wish to maximize the payments available to them via creative timing.

Remember, your goal here is not to be as worried about whether the government is going broke as worried whether your nest egg that you and your spouse live on (or pass to heirs in modest amounts) can be completely vacuumed up by the complex of medical corporations in old age, leaving YOU (individuals and extended families) broke and them (corporations) enriched. According to Murphy (of Murphy's law), "If it can happen, it will happen".

Medicare is indispensable, because old people are otherwise UNINSURABLE. To a growing extent, by the way, everyone who "showers after work" (as opposed to those who "shower before work") is uninsurable---because the economic value of that work is no longer enough to pay for keeping them healthy and alive. Better think hard about this before you go to either Church or the next tea bag event.

WHAT is the Christian response to this?

Muser of NM 12:24PM May 01, 2009

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Heart to Heart

Bernadine Healy, M.D., U.S.News & World Report's health editor and author of the magazine's On Health column, is the former head of the National Institutes of Health, the American Red Cross, and the College of Medicine and Public Health at Ohio State University. A cardiologist and author of two books, she spent more than 25 years practicing medicine. In this blog, she covers matters close to her heart, including cardiovascular disease and other important aspects of personal health and health policy.

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