Medical Error Reporting, Non-Payment Legislation Could Soon Be Law in New Jersey
By: State: New Jersey | Source: AARP.org
The public reporting of preventable medical errors could soon be a reality thanks to landmark legislation currently being sponsored by the Chairman of the Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee State Senator Joe Vitale (D-Middlesex.)
Senate Bill 2471/Assembly Bill A3633 will require the DHSS to report certain patient safety indicators on a hospital by hospital basis, enabling New Jersey residents to compare the safety of their local hospital against others in the area and in turn, help make educated health care decisions. Additionally, the law will prohibit hospitals and physicians from charging for certain medical errors including wrong site/side surgery, retention of a foreign object in the body, postoperative hip fracture, and postoperative blood infection.
Patricia Kelmar, AARP New Jersey associate state director of advocacy, believes the landmark legislation will be a vital tool for all New Jersey residents and vastly improve patient safety in the Garden State.
"Our current hospital and physician payment system actually enriches doctors and hospitals that provide substandard care," Kelmar said. "When a patient requires additional surgery and a longer hospital stay because of an error, the doctors and the hospitals get paid for these added medical procedures."
"Requiring doctors and hospitals to pay for and fess up to their mistakes will force hospitals to redouble their patient safety efforts and help protect our state's residents from medical mistakes," Kelmar said.
Under current law, the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is required to report the total number of medical errors that occur in New Jersey hospitals. According to the most recent Patient Safety Report reflecting 2007 data, 456 preventable medical errors occurred in New Jersey hospitals, resulting in the death of 72 residents.
However, the DHSS never reports medical error information by individual health care facility, leaving New Jersey residents questioning the safety of their local medical facility.
AARP New Jersey believes Senate Bill 2471/Assembly Bill A3633 will rectify this problem, and help protect residents from the fear of preventable medical errors.
"AARP thanks Senator Vitale and DHSS Commissioner Heather Howard for their leadership for their work on this bill that will improve hospital safety and health care transparency in the Garden State," said Kelmar. "We urge all members of the New Jersey Legislature to support this legislation that will make New Jersey hospitals among the safest in the nation."
AARP New Jersey asks its members to contact their legislators and ask them to support Senate Bill 2471/Assembly Bill A3633. The hotline numbers to call are 1 800 844 2272 to be connected with their Assembly members and 1 800 260 0130 to be connected with their State Senators. AARP is asking members to urge their legislators to support this bill.
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