Infectious dilemma. As hospitals gird against healthcare-associated infections and face CMS' vow not to pay for them after October, they must make some expensive decisions

As the October onset of the CMS' decision not to pay for some "never events" approaches, hospitals are faced with a daunting array of products meant to combat healthcare-associated infections. One option is rapid testing for MRSA, which Keith Ramsey, left, says cost his hospital $950,000 in the first year, but it recouped $700,000 from payer reimbursement for testing. He says it was a smart investment.