Overnight hospital stays are oppressively expensive: the 2011 Comparative Price Report found that the average cost per hospital stay in the United States is $15,734, more than three times the international average. Given the staggering cost of hospitalization, it comes as little surprise that insurers are increasingly pushing for cheaper outpatient procedures, in which patients come in for surgery and are sent home the same day.
But is patient safety being jeopardized by this focus on the bottom line? For patients who are rushed home after surgery and suffer further injury as a result, a medical malpractice lawsuit may be the only way to obtain compensation for the unnecessary harm they've suffered.
Insurers Exert Massive Pressure on Hospitals and Health Insurance Policyholders
Blue Cross Blue Shield is a federation of companies that collectively insure nearly half of all Americans who are covered by medical or hospital policies. According to figures from the Blue Cross Blue Shield organization, favoring same day surgery over other alternatives could reduce the overall cost of surgery to insurers by 30 to 50 percent.
With the top five health insurers in America earning in excess of $12 billion a year, substantial sums stand to be made by pressuring doctors and patients into outpatient surgery.
Insurers exert their influence in a number of ways. One method is drafting policies to direct patients toward outpatient procedures, for instance, by reducing reimbursement for certain surgeries unless they are performed in an outpatient setting. Insurers can also exploit their billion-dollar financial ties to health care providers, offering financial incentives to doctors and hospitals that actively promote outpatient care.
Violating the Standard of Care by Sending Patients Home Too Soon
Two recent studies from the University of Maryland indicate that the pursuit of revenue from surgery is leading to patients being sent home too early. In the studies, patients who were hurried in and out at the busiest times were found to be 50 percent more likely to have to reenter a hospital for treatment within three days.
Whatever the external financial pressures, doctors have a professional obligation to do what is best for their patients' care. If your health care provider puts you in danger by caving in to insurer pressures and sending you home too soon, you may be entitled to monetary compensation.
Talk to a medical malpractice attorney if you think you might have been sent home too early after a procedure. You could be entitled to compensation for any additional medical expenses, lost wages, and your pain and suffering, and your attorney may be the only one who can help you collect. But, do not wait too long to get in touch with a medical malpractice attorney: there are legal limitations that prevent you from filing a lawsuit if too much time has passed since your injury.
