{"id":133836,"date":"2024-12-06T04:52:48","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T21:52:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=133836"},"modified":"2024-12-06T04:52:48","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T21:52:48","slug":"insurance-company-halts-plan-to-put-time-limits-on-coverage-for-anesthesia-during-surgery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=133836","title":{"rendered":"Insurance company halts plan to put time limits on coverage for anesthesia during surgery"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-editable=\"content\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-reorderable=\"content\">\n<p>\n    <cite class=\"source__cite\"><br \/>\n      <span class=\"source__location\" data-editable=\"location\"\/><br \/>\n      <span class=\"source__text\" data-editable=\"source\">CNN<\/span><br \/>\n        \u00a0\u2014\u00a0<br \/>\n    <\/cite>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm4be5e0z000m2cp64nqz71ph@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            After sharp criticism from anesthesiologists, an insurance company is halting its plan to <a href=\"https:\/\/providernews.anthem.com\/connecticut\/articles\/anesthesia-billed-time-units-commercial-22477\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">limit<\/a> the amount time it would cover anesthesia used in surgeries and procedures. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said on Thursday it would no longer move forward with the policy change.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm4brkf7e00003b5vdnfpp8cv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cThere 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,\u201d the company said in a statement. \u201cTo be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services. The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm4be5qcb00063b6m4eihisf3@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance representing Connecticut, New York and Missouri had previously said that, starting in February, it would deny any claims for anesthesia services that exceeded specific time limits set for surgeries and procedures.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm4be5qcb00073b6muynt8hrl@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Anthem had said the change was part of an effort to make health care more affordable by reducing overbilling for anesthesia.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm4brmvwl00063b5v3vtyxs18@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            One major professional group of anesthesiologists called for the company to reverse what it called an \u201cunprecedented move,\u201d saying it\u2019s egregious and uninformed.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm4brr74h000a3b5vo6iecfwr@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cAnesthesiologists provide individualized care to every patient, carefully assessing the patient\u2019s health prior to the surgery, looking at existing diseases and medical conditions to determine the resources and medical expertise needed, attending to the patient during the entire procedure, resolving unexpected complications that may arise and\/or extend the duration of the surgery, and working to ensure that the patient is comfortable during recovery,\u201d the American Society of Anesthesiologists said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asahq.org\/about-asa\/newsroom\/news-releases\/2024\/11\/anthem-blue-cross-blue-shield-will-not-pay-complete-duration-of-anesthesia-for-surgical-procedures\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statement<\/a>.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm4be5qcb00093b6mrq3a70bf@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            The company had previously said the standards it would use to determine how long a surgery should last were consistent with industry standards and formulas set by the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Maternity-related care and pediatric services for patients younger than 22 were to be excluded from the change.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm4be5qcb000c3b6mvpaa4y9y@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Anesthesiologists said Anthem\u2019s policy would have added a significant amount of undue strain to providers and patients and reflects a great misunderstanding of how things work in the operating room.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm4be5qcb000d3b6mswxnmxt2@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Dr. Gordon Morewood, vice chair for the American Society of Anesthesiologists\u2019 Committee on Economics, recently participated in a meeting between the society and Anthem executives.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm4be5qcb000e3b6mh8tptbqk@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            He said that experts tried to explain the way anesthesia billing works \u2014 that one specific billing code could be used for nearly 200 different procedures, leaving great variability in the amount of time needed under anesthesia \u2014 and learned that Anthem hadn\u2019t audited claims and didn\u2019t have any evidence that there was a problem that needed to be fixed.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm4be5qcb000f3b6mk7ndx07y@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cIt\u2019s a cynical exercise in figuring out a way to reject more claims initially, knowing that a number of those are just going to fall off and never be paid,\u201d Morewood said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm4be5qcb000g3b6melz1ce4k@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            It would be extremely difficult for anesthesiologists to bill for unnecessary time, especially in operating room settings where many detailed time stamps are recorded and with the help of automated electronic health records, experts say.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm4be5qcb000h3b6mizrid54q@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Any additional time under anesthesia is usually related to ensuring that patients are safely cared for, such as securing a safe airway, or responding to physiologic changes that may occur because of the surgery, such as blood pressure or respiratory changes, said Dr. Rick van Pelt, a board-certified anesthesiologist and chief clinical transformation officer at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital.\n    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/factbox\/instances\/cm4be8p85000x3b6mwwe7g5u9@published\" data-component-name=\"factbox\" data-article-gutter=\"true\" class=\"factbox_inline-small factbox_inline-small__\">\n<h3 class=\"factbox_inline-small__title\" data-editable=\"title\">\n    Get CNN Health&#8217;s weekly newsletter<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm4be5qcb000i3b6mp1dhmn90@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cThis approach (by Anthem) reflects a profound lack of understanding of the role of the anesthesiologist in providing safe, high-quality care to patients as an integral member of the surgical care team,\u201d he said. \u201cWhile no anesthesiologist would intentionally compromise on the care they provide, it is inevitable that unwarranted time pressure will increase the risk of adverse medical events and patient harm.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm4be5qcb000j3b6mplcz6oi7@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Anesthesiology is often a top fear for surgical patients and adding uncertainty around insurance coverage threatens trust in a vulnerable moment, said Morewood, who is also chair and professor of clinical anesthesiology at Temple University\u2019s Lewis Katz School of Medicine. Reassuring patients about insurance concerns can take away from time spent explaining the risks and benefits of the actual medical care.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm4be5qcb000k3b6mp2ndav10@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cOftentimes you\u2019re meeting your anesthesiologist on the day of surgery. And yet, this is someone in whom you are literally putting your life in their hands. They are responsible for your continued existence on this planet an hour, two hours, six hours from now. So that\u2019s a very charged environment,\u201d he said. \u201cTo have insurance companies saying, \u2018Okay, the meter is going to run out after an hour and a half\u2019 is just unconscionable.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/12\/05\/health\/anthem-blue-cross-blue-shield-anesthesia-claim-limits\/index.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CNN \u00a0\u2014\u00a0 After sharp criticism from anesthesiologists, an insurance company is halting its plan to limit the amount time it would cover anesthesia used in surgeries and procedures. Anthem Blue &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=133836\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8629],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-133836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-u-s","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=133836"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133836\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=133836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=133836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=133836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}