Syracuse Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog
Crouse Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center are being penalized by the federal government for having high rates of avoidable patient complications. They are among 758 U.S. hospitals – 46 in New York – having their payments from Medicare reduced by 1 percent over the course of the federal fiscal year, which runs through September 2016.
The fines are based on the government’s assessment of the hospital-acquired condition (HAC) score. HACs are conditions such as infections, sepsis, broken hips, and other problems patients did not have upon arrival at the hospital, but developed during their stay. Each hospital was given a score of 1 to 10, 1 being the best and 10 being the worst. The following are the HAC scores for Central New York hospitals:
- Crouse: 9
- St. Joseph’s: 7.75
- Cayuga Medical Center: 7.25
- Upstate University Hospital: 6.5
- Cortland Regional Medical Center: 4.25
- Auburn Community Hospital: 4.12
- Oneida Healthcare Center: 4
- Oswego Hospital: 3
Hospitals with scores above 6.75 are the ones being penalized. This is the second year Medicare has imposed the cuts, and Crouse was also penalized last year.
Bottar Law, PLLC’s team of New York medical malpractice lawyers have decades of experience investigating and prosecuting cases where heath care providers fail to meet the standard of care. If you have questions about the care you received, do not hesitate to contact us.