Blue Cross Blue Shield Will No Longer Cover Anesthesia
Blue Cross Blue Shield Will No Longer Cover Anesthesia In Certain Surgeries
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Health insurance company Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has announced it will no longer cover anesthesia services if a surgery or procedure exceeds a set time limit.
The change will affect those who receive coverage in New York and Missouri, starting February 1, 2025. The insurance company is also trying to implement the new policy in Connecticut, but they received some push back.
The announcement of the new policy was made in early November but has just regained attention after the fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
For customers in New York and Missouri, the anesthesia coverage will be based on the Physician Work Time values to “target the number of minutes reported for anesthesia service,” according to Blue Cross Blue Shield. Any new procedures that were booked after the time of the announcement will have to obey by the new policy. People under the age of 22 and maternity-related care will be excluded from the change.
The company claims that the new policy is in place to be a “safeguard against potential anesthesia provider overbilling” in an effect “to improve affordability and accessibility to care.”
