One of the country’s largest insurers said Thursday it was pulling back a change in how it would pay for anesthesia care in certain states, after doctors and politicians loudly protested.
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield told providers in New York, Connecticut, Missouri and Colorado that beginning in February, it would use Medicare metrics to determine payment rates for anesthesia, which is based on how long and complex a procedure is.
An anesthesiology trade group said the move amounted to having the insurance company put an “arbitrary time limit” on procedures. After a certain point, they said insurance wouldn’t pay.
After major backlash this week, which coincided with the killing of another insurer’s CEO in New York City, Anthem backed off.
“There has been significant widespread misinformation about an update to our anesthesia policy. As a result, we have decided to not proceed with this policy change,” the company said in a statement to The Hill.
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