New Congressional Bill Would Prohibit Time Limit for Anesthesia Services

This week, Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15) introduced the “Anesthesia for All Act.” This legislation would prohibit health insurance companies like Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield from creating arbitrary time limit caps on payment for anesthesia services. The legislation follows strong opposition from ASA and a public outcry against Anthem’s proposal to not pay for anesthesia services that go beyond an arbitrary time limit, regardless of how long the surgical procedure actually takes. This ill-informed policy was proposed in Connecticut, New York and Missouri, but Anthem has since reversed its policy.

The Anthem policy proposal reflected a larger trend among commercial health insurers to unilaterally undercut established anesthesia billing and payment norms that recognize anesthesia services and care. This year, insurers have targeted with their payment policies some of the most vulnerable patients anesthesiologists treat, including patients under the age of 1, those over the age of 70, those in emergency conditions, and patients with severe systematic diseases. 

ASA is committed to protecting patient access to care, ensuring accountability among insurers, promoting transparency in health care cost savings and advocating for fair and appropriate payment for anesthesiologists.

Read Congressman Torres statement on the legislation here.
Read the bill text.