Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has announced it will no longer cover the full length of anesthesia during surgery if it exceeds a specific time limit, leading to outrage across social media, from average users to government officials.
The change will affect those receiving coverage in New York and Missouri, starting Feb. 1, 2025. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield also tried to implement the policy in Connecticut, but after pushback from the state’s comptroller’s office, it will no longer go into effect, Connecticut Comptroller Sean Scanlon posted on X on Thursday.
The announcement was made in early November but gained renewed attention following the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, which prompted widespread criticism of the U.S. health care system.
For customers in Missouri and New York, next year, anesthesia coverage will be based on the CMS Physician Work Time values to “target the number of minutes reported for anesthesia services,” according to Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. (CMS stands for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.)
If a claim is submitted where the reported time for anesthesia services exceeds the established number of minutes, it will be denied, according to Anthem.
People under the age of 22 and maternity-related care will be excluded from the change, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said.