Anesthesia

Anesthesia regulations are evolving across many states as shifting practice standards and changing insurance policies face increased scrutiny.

Anesthesia providers are increasingly sounding the alarm over payer policies that threaten fair compensation, patient access and the sustainability of their profession. 

Nearly 30% of anesthesiologists are predicted to leave the practice by 2033, leading to an anticipated shortage of 12,500 providers. 

Many hospitals and health systems have begun cutting the use of certain inhaled anesthetics due to their greenhouse gas emissions, and a teaching hospital in Europe recently found a potential alternative, Medscape reported March 4. 

Sycamore Pain & Wellness, a service line of Lewisville, Texas-based Horizon Health, has partnered with Terre Haute (Ind.) Surgical Center to deliver pain management services, WIBQ reported March 3. 

In late 2024, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield proposed a policy that would have imposed time limits on anesthesia reimbursements in Missouri, New York and Connecticut. This was met with an intense backlash from the physicians and leaders in healthcare…

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.

Since the beginning of 2025, lawmakers in several states have proposed legislation to address anesthesia reimbursement policies and regulations for certified registered nurse practice regulations. 

The American Society of Anesthesiologists has submitted a brief in support of HSS' attempt to dismiss a complaint issued by the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology.

A study published Feb. 22 in Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications found that opioid-sparing anesthesia cut down on opioid-related adverse events in cardiac surgery and may also improve post-procedure recovery.