Both state and federal lawmakers have passed five anesthesia-related bills in the last three months, a pace that signals anesthesia policy is no longer a slow-moving regulatory backwater.
The common thread is that lawmakers are simultaneously expanding who can administer anesthesia, with more states dropping CRNA supervision requirements and rural hospitals tapping Medicare for anesthesiologists, while cracking down on how insurers pay for it by banning time-limit denials and protecting CRNA reimbursement.
Here are five pieces of legislation affecting the anesthesia industry, as reported by Becker’s since May 19:
- Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed House Bill 2372 into law, which bans health insurers from placing time limits on anesthesia reimbursement during surgery.
- A bill was introduced in the House of Representatives that would permit rural hospitals to use Medicare funding to hire physician anesthesiologists.
- Ohio became the 27th state to opt out of Medicare’s physician supervision requirement for certified registered nurse anesthetists, as Gov. Mike DeWine notified CMS of the decision in a letter dated July 10. The opt-out follows Ohio House Bill 52, which took effect June 8 and replaced the state’s CRNA “supervision” standard with a collaboration model involving a physician, dentist or podiatrist.
- Vermont became the 26th state to opt out of federal regulations requiring physician supervision of CRNAs, following Gov. Phil Scott’s letter to CMS on July 2.
- The Louisiana State Legislature passed a bill ensuring certified registered nurse anesthetists are reimbursed by insurers for anesthesia services they are licensed to provide.
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