Medicare: Roster of "never events" may expand

CMS is adding to the list of preventable injuries or conditions that Medicare won't pay higher rates for if they're acquired in the hospital, such as a transfusion of the wrong blood type. The latest medical maladies that CMS considers "reasonably preventable" include:

Surgical site infections following certain elective procedures.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism.

Disease associated with Clostridium difficile.

If finalized after public comment, the rule would apply to services provided to patients who are discharged after Oct. 1, 2008, which begins the agency's 2009 fiscal year.