Never events include wrong-site surgery, retained foreign objects, wrong patient procedures, and certain hospital-acquired conditions. CMS declines payment for treating some of them.
The classification derives from patient safety rather than legal standards.
Alternative Names:
Serious Reportable Event, Never Events
Why it Matters?
The never event label carries substantial rhetorical force at trial even though it originated as a payment and quality classification rather than a legal standard of care determination. Establishing that distinction matters, since the designation does not itself establish negligence for every listed event. Certain hospital-acquired conditions on the list occur despite appropriate care, unlike wrong-site surgery.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Does never event status establish negligence?
Which events occur despite appropriate care?
