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News Center
August 21, 2007
Medicare Ends Reimbursement to Hospitals for Pressure Ulcers
Medicare no longer will reimburse hospitals for pressure ulcers and other preventable infections, according to a new rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
The rule, which will take effect in October 2008, could save lives and millions of dollars, CMS officials said. Long-term care facilities often admit residents who have contracted infections from hospitals.
Medicare no longer will reimburse hospitals for treatment for eight
conditions. They include falls; mediastinitis, an infection that can develop
after heart surgery; urinary tract and vascular infections that result from
improper use of catheters; and pressure ulcers. Also, Medicare will not
reimburse for objects left in the body during surgery, air embolisms and blood
incompatibility.
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