This has been a busy week for computer glitches affecting patient health. In addition to the Medicare beneficiaries affected by WellPoint errors, veterans receiving care at VA hospitals have also received incorrect treatment due to computer errors affecting their electronic medical records. The VA has been a Health IT pioneer, and overall, care has improved under their electronic records system. However, it is clear that their system is not perfect, and Americans may not feel comfortable with a national electronic records system until all the bugs are worked out.

Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - the agency overseeing the Medicare program - issued sanctions prohibiting WellPoint from enrolling additional Medicare beneficiaries into its Medicare plans. Beneficiaries using WellPoint reported problems accessing their medication. Some patients were prevented from receiving prescriptions entirely, while others were overcharged, most likely due to computer errors. Medicare believed that patients' lives were endangered by these errors and issued the sanctions in response.

Many American families are feeling the pain of our current economic climate. State governments are strapped for cash as well. This means that the safety net that many American rely on for help in desperate times is also unraveling. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities recently reported that 33 states are slashing health benefits - some are eliminating coverage for vulnerable groups like the elderly and disabled, while others are cutting benefits for mental health care or routine physicals. Federal financial assistance is likely to help, but may not be enough to keep these programs alive.

The Supreme Court of California recently issued a decision prohibiting hospital emergency departments from billing patients directly for amounts disallowed by their insurance plans. This controversial practice is commonly known as balance billing, and it has been a heated issue in California in recent months.

Unfortunately, the court declined to address the issue of reasonable and customary fees. Balance billing exists as a practice because providers and payors disagree over what constitutes an appropriate fee for health care services. Until a consensus is reached, medical billing practices may remain controversial.