NBCA Urges FEDS To Cut Hospital Reimbursement For Preventable Blood Clots

On June 12, 2008, NBCA’s President, Randy Fenninger submitted a NBCA Position Paper to the Federal Government containing specific recommendations to curb unnecessary blood clot events in hospitals. Blood clots, as Hospital Acquired Conditions (HAC), is a national problem that affects thousands of patients annually in the US.

NBCA urged CMS to deny reimbursement for preventable DVT/PE’s in selected instances and urged further review to expand reimbursement denial when practitioners/hospitals do not follow established guidelines to prevent and or treat clots. By denying payment for what amounts to poor post surgical care on the part of some hospitals, NBCA seeks to improve post surgical care and reduce the morbidity and mortality of post surgical blood clots that are easily prevented with inexpensive measures of thromboprophlaxis.

Hospital “Gain Sharing” Incentive Proposed

NBCA also urged that reimbursement not be denied where proper care was provided and other instances where clots could not have been prevented. Further NBCA has called for an innovative “gain sharing” formula to reward hospitals with a portion of the savings that are realized through effective anticoagulation management. Mr. Fenninger said “it is our hope that implementation of such a policy will strongly encourage appropriate treatment and prophylaxis for many patients at risk for DVT/PE.” Click here to view NBCA's recommendations.

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