Connecticut officials have been assured that Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield's unpopular policy move to cap anesthesiology coverage will not affect the state.
Anthem released information on Wednesday that its new policy in New York, Missouri and Connecticut would require that if surgery extended past a time limit, anesthesia would not be covered.
That outraged state officials.
“A policy like this is directly dangerous to patients’ well-being,” said State Senator Saud Anwar, a critical care doctor and co-chair of the Public Health Committee.
“You want surgeons to do the right thing, not to worry about having to do the surgery fast and having to go again and again and repeating the surgery because of some of these crazy things that these people are proposing,” he said.
Comptroller Sean Scanlon said it prompted him to contact Anthem. Following a conversation with the company, he was assured that Anthem would no longer be implementing the policy in Connecticut.
Anthem is the provider of the state employee health plan and many others.
The company has decided not to proceed with the policy rollout in other states.
