The Colorado Hospital Association is considering whether to adopt a pricing policy for some adverse events, similar to a no-charge plan announced this week by the Massachusetts Hospital Association, according to officials.
An association pricing task force formed in May has been instructed to continue to develop never-event payments recommendations presented to the board, according to Richard Haugh, a spokesman for the Greenwood Village-based organization. The association has “no firm plans at this point” to implement one, Haugh said.
The MHA said beginning in 2008, its hospitals would no longer bill patients or insurers for care related to provider mistakes in nine adverse events identified by the National Quality Forum.
The Colorado association, with 85 members, is driving several quality issues in the interest of greater transparency for consumers, Haugh said. It plans to release a new report card with quality information about its hospitals on Nov. 28. -- by Jean DerGurahian
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