In December 2011, John Muncie almost died from an infection he contracted during back surgery at Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Va. He and his wife, Jody Jaffe, want hospitals to bear the cost of infection treatment to encourage them to practice more safely.
Their proposed legislation, John’s Law, would expand hospitals’ responsibility from paying for some HAIs for Medicare and Medicaid patients to paying for all infections for all patients. Currently, Mr. Muncie would have to pay the $2,500 co-pay for his six-week regimen of IV drugs in addition to the cost of his 12-day hospital stay.
However, Virginia Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (D) and Daniel Sawyer, MD, the infectious disease specialist who treated Mr. Muncie, said placing too much burden on hospitals could drive up overall healthcare costs and potentially force some hospitals into bankruptcy.
Related Articles on Hospital-Acquired Infections:
Blessing Hospital in Illinois Cut Infection Rate in Half in 3 Years
Colorado Releases Hospital Infection Rate Report
California Health Department Releases Six Reports on Healthcare-Acquired Infections
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