The policy would have seen the insurance provider predetermine the time allowed for anesthesia care during a surgery or procedure and cover care only over that period.
company Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said it will reverse a policy that would have resulted in coverage for anesthesia services being potentially capped in Connecticut, Missouri and New York.
FILE - In this May 14, 2019, file photo signage on the outside of the corporate headquarters building of health insurance company Anthem is shown in Indianapolis.Before Anthem BCBS announced the policy reversal, state officials said they had prevented the policy from going into effect in their respective states.
The policy change drew sharp criticism from some health care professionals, who argued that patient care would potentially be compromised. "This is just the latest in a long line of appalling behavior by commercial health insurers looking to drive their profits up at the expense of patients and physicians providing essential care," Dr. Donald E. Arnold, president of the ASA and chair of the department of anesthesiology at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, said in a statement.
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