Here are four states updating their certified registered nurse anesthetists and anesthesia laws in the last month:
1. In January, Illinois state Rep. Bill Hauter, MD, a Republican, sponsored a bill making it illegal for insurance companies to place a time limit on anesthesia payment coverage. That bill has now passed out of the state insurance committee unanimously.While anesthesia time limits have never been proposed in Illinois, the bill would preemptively stop any future potential time limits.
2. Washington state lawmakers are considering allocating $840,000 to the state’s Department of Ecology to study the impact of anesthesia gas on the environment. The department would be required to produce a report in 2027 with recommendations for anesthesia gas regulation.
3. Two Florida lawmakers have filed legislation to grant CRNAs the ability to practice without physician supervision. Senate bill 718 and House bill 649 both seek expanded practice authority for CRNAs, allowing them to practice autonomously and administer anesthesia independently. The two pieces of legislation also change licensing requirements for advanced practice registered nurses.
4. Legislators in Washington state are taking steps to ban time caps on anesthesia coverage in a bipartisan bill. The bill would immediately place a ban on any provider attempting to deny coverage or cap reimbursement based on the duration of anesthesia used during a procedure.
