Health insurance company Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield will no longer issue a new policy that would limit coverage for anesthesia during surgery in several US states.
On Thursday, Dec. 5, Anthem told PEOPLE that the new policy — which would apply to patients undergoing the surgery in Connecticut, Missouri and New York — would not take effect.
“There has been significant widespread misinformation about our anesthesia policy update. As a result, we have decided not to proceed with this policy change,” Anthem told PEOPLE in a statement.
“To be clear, it has never been and never will be Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield’s policy not to pay for medically necessary anesthesia services,” the insurer added. “The proposed rule update is designed only to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia in accordance with well-established clinical guidelines.”
The American Society of Anesthesiologists called on Anthem to “immediately” rescind the proposal.
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Under Anthem’s original Nov. 1 announcement of the new policy, the insurer would have set predetermined time limits on when patients could be under anesthesia during a surgery or procedure. After the time limit expires, the patient’s anesthesia services will not be covered.
“Claims submitted with reported times exceeding the specified number of minutes will be denied,” Anthem wrote in its first announcement, noting that the policy would not apply to maternity-related care or children under 22. “This update will not change the industry standard coding requirements or the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) anesthesia formulary.”
The company previously said the change was part of an effort to make health care more affordable and stop overcharging for anesthesia, according to CNN. It was originally scheduled to take effect on February 1, 2025.
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The policy has been the subject of much criticism, including from lawmakers and the ASA, which released a statement on Nov. 14, urging Anthem to “immediately reverse the proposal.”
“Anesthesiologists provide individualized care to each patient, carefully assessing the patient’s health before surgery, looking at existing diseases and medical conditions to determine the necessary resources and medical expertise, caring for the patient throughout the procedure, dealing with unexpected complications that may arise and/or prolong the duration of the operation, and work to make the patient comfortable during recovery,” the ASA wrote in its statement, adding that the time limit was arbitrary.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul sent a statement Thursday announcing the news of Anthem’s decision to change the policy.
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“Last night I shared my outrage at Anthem’s plan to take away coverage from New Yorkers who had to go under anesthesia for surgery,” Hochul said in part in a statement, according to ABC News. “We forced Anthem to change course and today they will announce a complete reversal of this misguided policy.”
Connecticut Comptroller Sean Scanlon wrote in a post on X Thursday that he was “pleased” after Anthem announced the policy no longer exists.
“After hearing from people across the state about this troubling policy, my office reached out to Anthem and I am pleased to say that this policy will no longer be in effect here in Connecticut,” he wrote.
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