Anesthesia providers continue to face significant financial challenges as reimbursement rates decline and workforce shortages loom.
Here are 10 numbers that highlight the growing crisis in anesthesia reimbursement:
1. The average anesthesia reimbursement rate for 2023 was $21.88 per unit, reflecting a 5.5% decline from 2019, according to a blog post from Coronis Health.
2. If an anesthesia provider generates 10,000 billable units from Medicare, the total revenue potential is only $218,000, assuming full collection, according to Coronis Health.
3. Medicare reimbursements for anesthesia services dropped from $22.2730 per unit in 2019 to $21.1249 in 2023, according to a VMG Report.
4. Over the last 23 years, inflation-adjusted Medicare reimbursement for select pain management procedures has decreased by an average of 2.81% annually, according to a February report from American Association of Physician Leadership.
5. There could be a shortage of up to 6,300 anesthesiologists by 2036, according to a 2024 white paper from Medicus Healthcare Solutions.
6. In November, CMS finalized a 94-cent (2.83%) conversion factor decrease for 2024. The physician fee schedule conversion factor for 2025 will be $32.35, down from $33.29 in 2024.
7. Several national insurers have announced plans to cap CRNA reimbursement rates at 85% of the physician fee schedule.
8. The No Surprises Act., passed in 2022, has significantly impacted anesthesia reimbursement, slashing payments to anesthesiologists by nearly 40% in some cases.
9. Cleveland-based insurer Medical Mutual has implemented an 85% reimbursement cap for CRNAs as of January 2024, affecting anesthesia providers across the state.
10. In 2024, there were 1,695 anesthesiology residency positions available, yet approximately 44% of medical students seeking an anesthesiology residency did not match.
