On December 2, 2008, CMS proposed three national coverage determinations (NCDs) to deny Medicare coverage of certain types of serious, preventable surgical errors. Specifically, under the proposed NCDs, Medicare would not cover: (1) wrong surgical or other invasive procedures performed on a patient; (2) surgical or other invasive procedures performed on the wrong body part; or (3) surgical or other invasive procedures performed on the wrong patient. The coverage policy is intended to complement CMS’s hospital-acquired conditions policy, under which Medicare will not make higher payments to hospitals for care associated with certain reasonably-preventable conditions unless the condition were reported as present on admission. CMS will accept comments on the proposed coverage policies until January 1, 2009.