The true costs of HAIs and HAI prevention.
Hospital acquired infections (HAIs) require costly treatment and can result in loss of life.
CMS no longer reimburses for preventable infections like SSIs, C. diff and MRSA.
The burden of treatment costs has shifted from insurers and CMS to hospitals. Pulsed Xenon Full Spectrum™ UV disinfection is an effective way to reduce infection rates. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics show that in the United States, 1 in 25 patients will contract an HAI while in care, with close to 75,000 of these patients dying annually. CDC figures also show that HAIs cost the United States healthcare industry upwards of $30 billion dollars annually.
Successfully combating HAIs has become a significant and actionable financial opportunity for U.S. hospitals today.
In January 2015, CMS began measuring C. difficile and MRSA infections as key performance standards in the Value Based Purchasing (VBP) and Hospital Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Programs. By 2017, 5% of hospital inpatient Medicare reimbursement will depend upon performance in these programs. Hospitals are now scored on items like patient satisfaction (HCAHPS) and their infection rate. These scores directly impact reimbursement, potentially costing millions of dollars.