Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield calls off surgery anesthesia cap
▻https://www.axios.com/2024/12/05/blue-cross-blue-shield-anesthesia-anthem-connecticut-new-york
A major health insurance company is backing off of a controversial plan to limit coverage of anesthesia, according to public officials.
Why it matters: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield recently decided to “no longer pay for anesthesia care if the surgery or procedure goes beyond an arbitrary time limit, regardless of how long the surgical procedure takes,” according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists, which opposed the decision.
The decision covered plans in Connecticut, New York and Missouri.
The insurer had based the move on surgery time metrics from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NPR reported.
Friction point: The decision was controversial at the time — but outrage erupted this week after the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City cast a spotlight on divisive insurance decisions.
The latest: “After hearing from people across the state about this concerning policy, my office reached out to Anthem, and I’m pleased to share this policy will no longer be going into effect here in Connecticut,” Connecticut Comptroller Sean Scanlon said Thursday on X.
“We pushed Anthem to reverse course and today they will be announcing a full reversal of this misguided policy,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday in a statement. “Don’t mess with the health and well-being of New Yorkers — not on my watch.”
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On social media, critics drew a direct line from controversial coverage decisions to the death of Thompson.
“When you shoot one man in the street it’s murder. When you kill thousands of people in hospitals by taking away their ability to get treatment you’re an entrepreneur,” an X user wrote.