Here’s what you should know:
1. Anthem issued a clinical guideline stating anesthesia services were medically unnecessary during cataract surgeries for a majority of patients.
2. The guideline instead puts the responsibility of topical, local or regional anesthesia as well as conscious sedation into the hands of ophthalmologists. Anthem listed few exceptions to the guideline. Those exceptions include pediatric cases, patients requiring complex surgeries, patients who are unable to communicate or those with histories of anesthesia problems.
3. OOSS said the guideline is a threat to patient care, health and safety. The society is siding with the American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery in advocating for the guideline’s recension.
4. OOSS President Jeffrey Whiteman said, “The guideline reflects a misguided view of the
complexity of cataract surgery, the relative training and skill sets of the ophthalmic surgeon and anesthesia provider, and the unique characteristics and health status of the typical cataract patient.”
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