Anthem Blue Cross Blue Defend will now not implement a coverage to restrict protection of anesthesia, in response to the state comptroller.
The medical insurance supplier had mentioned it will now not pay for anesthesia care if a surgical procedure or process went past a selected time restrict for sufferers in Connecticut, New York and Missouri.
“After hearing from people across the state about this concerning policy, my office reached out to Anthem, and I’m pleased to share this policy will no longer be going into effect here in Connecticut,” State Comptroller Sean Scanlon mentioned in an announcement on Thursday.
Anthem had introduced the brand new coverage final month. It instructed sufferers that they it was going to vary the way it evaluated billed time beginning Feb. 1, 2025 and policyholders may file a declare dispute in the event that they disagreed with a declare reimbursement resolution.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists mentioned the plan would have required Anthem Blue Cross Blue Defend prospects to pay out of pocket for anesthesia if a surgical procedure or process went longer than anticipated.
Scanlon mentioned Anthem Blue Cross Blue Defend will now not be implementing the coverage to restrict protection of anesthesiology after conversations with the corporate, which is the supplier for the state worker well being plan and lots of others all through Connecticut.
The Connecticut Hospital Affiliation mentioned it’s their understanding that the coverage wouldn’t apply to anesthesia suppliers in Connecticut.
NBC Connecticut has reached out to Anthem Blue Cross Blue Defend.