Medicare To Cease Reimbursement for Bed Sores, Pressure Sores and Decubitus Ulcers

Written by Adam Peck Category: Elder Law January 26th, 2013 2 min read

Last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that it will cease reimbursement for hospital care of eight reasonably preventable conditions – including pressure ulcers, bed sore aka decubitus ulcers – in October 2008.

Which is understandable, since the number of hospital patients develop pressure ulcers, bed sores and decubitus ulcers year increased by 63% over the last 10 and nearly 60,000 deaths annually from hospital-acquired bed sores, pressure sores and decubitus ulcers.

But this is not the only victim. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the average length of stay for patients hospitalized for treatment of Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, bed sores and decubitus ulcers was 13 days, each with an average cost of $ 37,500 U.S. dollars stay.

If a patient is immobile bedridden or has difficulty moving after surgery or procedures, the minimum friction burns with blankets, wheelchairs or other areas can quickly become established in pressure ulcers. One problem is that pressure ulcers, bed sores and decubitus ulcers can be initially difficult to see that look sometimes seen as nothing more than a pink or red spot on inaccessible areas such as skin creases or bony.

And if they occur, complications such as infection can bone, blood and skin to develop rapidly. Not only patients who suffer;but that hospitals – the treatment of pressure ulcers often costs more funding and staff hours of the measures could have prevented. not amount to taking into consideration the cost of litigation hospitals and nursing homes can face, for the implementation of their patients at risk for developing pressure ulcers.

So what can we do? We need to put the medicine in a proactive way to work through the transformation of our core protocols in prevention programs for pressure sores, bed sores and decubitus ulcers.

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Written by Adam Peck

Expertise: Personal Injury

Adam J. Peck, ESQ is a principal with Peck Law Group, APC. In 2008, Mr. Adam Peck received his Juris Doctorate from Whittier Law School where he graduated Cum Laude. His practice is primarily dedicated to representing Elders, Dependent Adults, along with their loved ones and family members, who have suffered horrific personal injuries.