Adam V. Russo | June 2, 2010
Victoria Colliver, Chronicle Staff Writer
Drill bits, screws, sponges, clamps, needles, catheters, electrodes. These are some of the things accidentally left inside patients after surgery at California hospitals.
These instances are referred to as “never” events, meaning they are never supposed to happen. But even though they are reported in a small percentage of surgeries, they occur [...]
Adam V. Russo | November 9, 2009
Thank you to all of you who attended our webinar on Never Events. click here to see the entire presentation.
Adam V. Russo | September 24, 2009
Tuesday September 22nd, Adam V. Russo, Esq. along with Jason Davis of Global Excel Management and Stacy M. Borans, MD of Advanced Medical Strategies shared their presentation ”Flaws and Disorder: Never Event Unit”at the 2009 SIIA National Educational Conference & Expo in Orlando, FL.
Click here to see the entire presentation
Adam V. Russo | June 24, 2009
by Jason C. Davis of SIIA, www.siia.org
Though rare, Never Events do happen. In fact, leaving a sponge behind in surgery was such a measurable occurrence that there are now surgical sponges inserted with radio chips to ensure that they are not forgotten (www.clearcount.com).
Adam V. Russo | May 22, 2009
May 19th, Adam V. Russo, Esq. spoke at the TABA 2009 TPA College of Knowledge Conference held at the Renaissance Hotel in Richardson, TX.
Click here to see Attorney Russo’s entire presentation.
Adam V. Russo | April 10, 2009
In the spring 2009 issue of the Texas Association of Benefit Administrators- The Benefit, you will find Adam V. Russo’s latest article “Never Events”.
click here to see Adam’s article.
Adam V. Russo | March 4, 2009
For years, The Phia Group has argued that requisite signed subrogation agreements are a mistake. Often, plan documents include language which states that if a third party may potentially be responsible for charges, the Plan will not process these charges without a signed subrogation agreement from the plan member.
Adam V. Russo | March 4, 2009
The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (the Parity Act) was passed on October 3, 2008, and was signed into law by President Bush the same day it passed Congress. The compliance date for each health plan is the annual renewal that occurs 12 months after the [...]
Adam V. Russo | March 4, 2009
Having reviewed hundreds of Usual and Customary (“U&C”) and Medical Necessity provisions, contained within various employee benefit plans, and spending countless hours reviewing U&C and Medical Necessity topics with some of the best medical bill review firms in the country, The Phia Group has determined which terms result in a strong right to monitor claims [...]
Adam V. Russo | March 4, 2009
Many of The Phia Group’s clients feel that they are caught between a rock and a hard place. Either they thoroughly process a claim, confirming coverage in accordance with the terms of the applicable plan document, or they get claims paid within deadlines set by prompt payment laws. The bottom line is that many administrators [...]
Adam V. Russo | March 4, 2009
It is imprudent to address “Never Events” by name in your plan document or policy. As a new issue, there is no concrete definition agreed upon by the industry. This can result in considerable confusion when determining what is payable, and what is actually a “Never Event.” Due to the uncertainty intrinsic to this topic, [...]
Adam V. Russo | March 4, 2009
A. Never Events Defined
No universal definition exists for Never Events. That is why, for now, it is wise to avoid mentioning them in your plan document and policy language.
For now, we can generally agree that “Never Events” are services, supplies, care and/or treatment that results from errors in medical care that are clearly identifiable, preventable, [...]
Adam V. Russo | February 11, 2009
Click here to see the Never Events Policy.
Adam V. Russo | November 6, 2008
Robin J. Fisk, Esq., Fisk Law Firm
Inception by
In 1999, the Institute of Medicine issued a report finding that medical errors were a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the United States, exceeding deaths attributable to motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer and AIDS.(1) The report, concluding that medi[i]cal errors contributed to 98,000 deaths per [...]
