BREAKING: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has reversed its decision to impose time limits on anesthesia coverage during surgeries after widespread public backlash.
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LOL, sure, it was because of "sharp criticism from anaesthesiologists". My bet is they got a look at the comments on the Brian Thompson shooting and realized they were all gonna be targets if this went through.
It is an abomination that an Insurance Company, not the doctors, attempted to determine what an appropriate time would be for anesthesia during a surgery. These insurance companies are off the rails. They deserved all of the backlash that they received.
While I’m glad the decision has been reversed, these f*ckers deserve no credit. The cruelty plan may have possible negative consequences for them - there’s no remorse. Whoever thought this was a good idea to begin with should be fired.
Hmmmm ... I wonder whatever could have sparked this sudden reversal? It's not like insurance companies have ever cared what the public has thought before.
I got crickets when I tagged my state legislators on my Facebook in regards to this. AnthemBlue Cross Blue Sheild is replacing Aetna as one of the states MCO's in Kansas.
"As a result, we have decided to not proceed with this policy change," an Anthem spokesperson wrote in an email. "To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services. “
There is extreme anger at the health insurance industry. This has been made clear by the death of an insurance CEO being gunned down on the busy streets of New York. Many other health insurers may be at risk and it is clear there is only one way to ensure their safety...
yes its good but also it was taken waaaay out of context by the Anesthesiology lobby and the fact they capitalized on a murder to keep their reimbursement levels is sick.
I’m really surprised it took this long for an average citizen to take justice into his own hands. As much as a I think vigilante justice and gunning down people in the street is Bad, the horror wreaked on the American people by US healcare insurance industry is astonishing.
I thought all remains of my once optimistic world view died on Election Day, but when I heard about this insane Anthem policy I felt confident that once word got out about it saner minds would prevail. Phew.
Further proof our healthcare system is broken. Our elected leaders refuse to do anything about this and the incoming Congress and administration cares more about teaching Christianity in schools, tax breaks for the wealthy, and a jobs program for the elites of the MAGA GOP.
The LAST thing anyone needs is to wake up in the OR DURING surgery.
JFC, read the goddamn room.
My salpingectomy EOB for anesthesia was about 12 lines of fentanyl, followed by multiple other lines of 3 other drugs. And I'm REAL GLAD I was knocked TF out. Happy to pay that $2k co-insurance.
And let me add this: when I had cancer surgery in 2013, the operation was scheduled for 90 minutes. The tumor was wrapped around a nerve. The surgery actually took 7 hours. I'm *really* glad the surgical team took the time necessary to remove the tumor AND ensure that nerve damage was minimal.
The Republicans and insurance companies have successfully scammed the rubes by using the scary 💀words “socialized medicine.”
Instead we have the insurance oligarchy/dictatorship destroying lives,
but somehow that is ok.
American exceptionalism=
American self-destruction.
I love how they cite “misinformation” about the policy as the reason they are reversing the change. Utter BS. If the policy was fine they could just clarify to avoid the “misinformation.”
Keep the pressure on! Always push back each denial! Health insurance is there to cover us when we need it! We pay enough for it so Don’t let some non medical bureaucrat deny your right to health care!
I love their take of "you just misunderstood what we meant."
Really Anthem BCBS? Really? Even the anesthesiologists misunderstood your policy? Either it did what the professionals said it did (dangerously limit anesthesia) or you wrote a shit policy, Anthem BCBS.
It's funny how a person makes a rational decision to gun down an insurance CEO, and all of a sudden, medical insurance starts rolling back piss poor moves.
BCBS has always been slimy. They put my parents through hell when my mother became terminally ill. My poor father was worried everything he’d worked for would be lost. They finally backed down but how many people lost against them and wound up in debt when they refused coverage? Blood suckers.
You can't help but wonder whether the high profile shooting in New York factored into this reversal. Actions are easier to take when there appears to be no consequences to account for. Yesterday may have provided a little much-needed focus 😂
They are nothing but f’ing crooks. They will think of another way to cut benefits and line their crooked pockets with more bonuses. They have blood on their hands for what they put people through.
Yeah, what’s wrong with those motherf’ers? Did they think the people who read would just roll over? I had surgery that took 2 and 1/2 hours. Glad I didn’t have to lay there bleeding and screaming for 2 of them. Thank you all who raised your voices. I am in your debt.
These CEO'S sit around all day, pants down around their ankles playing with themselves, to come up with these brilliant ideas, a time limit on anesthesia during an operation, genius I tells ya, pure genius👌
Where do I place my order for Acts Of God to severely cripple the healthcare industry, pharmaceuticals & insurance companies that put profits before people?
Not sure that would change anything, but I’m grasping at straws here.
Guess ordinary folks need to keep the lawsuits going?
Notice...the BCBS spokesperson, who said this policy change will not be happening, did not say that BCBS would not be letting bookkeepers decide what is medically necessary, after today.
"After a careful thought.. We have pivoted to take the humane and sensible, non-bone headed humunculi decision of reversing our parasitic, greedy and inspiringly psychotic short-lived policy change."
I don't think CEO salaries should be capped. I think a law should be passed that says the lowest paid employee's wage can't be below a certain % of what the CEO makes. Unless the CEO's salary is so low, it would cause the lowest paid employee to make less than mim wage. Then, min wage kicks in.
For example, if a CEO makes $1mil, the lowest paid employee can't make less than 10% of that amount. I bet we would see CEO wages drop, and employee wages rise.
Easy to get around, many CEOs take $0 base salary to evade taxes anyway. They're paid in stocks that can be liquidated at a lower capital gains tax later. They have lots of ways to beat income brackets. The system needs an overhaul.
Hmmm what happened? Did they suddenly get a conscience?? Or has the recent 'correction' got them rattled?
These SCUMBAG companies should be driven into the sea.
After widespread indifference to the assassination of one, a single one of their cohort - not a school shooting, not the deaths they dispense with their policies and practices. Is this the shape of "civil war" much spoken of over the last 4 years.
Darn... I was so looking forward to writing all those appeals to cover someone's anesthesia because the surgeon was still poking around inside their chest or abdominal cavity !
Yeah, bet this has nothing to do with the scandal being reported around the UnitedHealth Care murder. Only a coincidence. Believe that and I have a bridge you may be interested in purchasing.
I just saw an article on 6abc.com titled “CEO assassination raises questions on private security for executives”.
How about they take some of their obscene salaries and even more obscene bonuses and buy themselves some…….
I'm beyond bent. I'm an angry OG. I walk around in public lkke a wild rogue junkyard dog looking to bite ANYINE who dares say a word to me or give me a side eye. I can make Karen look like an amateur.
Those Medicare metrics for how long various procedures are supposed to take are set by the AMA. So the anesthesiologists are complaining about having to adhere to the standards they themselves created.
This was more about billing codes than bilking patients.
Comments
might pay off
"As a result, we have decided to not proceed with this policy change," an Anthem spokesperson wrote in an email. "To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services. “
Single-payer healthcare...
JFC, read the goddamn room.
My salpingectomy EOB for anesthesia was about 12 lines of fentanyl, followed by multiple other lines of 3 other drugs. And I'm REAL GLAD I was knocked TF out. Happy to pay that $2k co-insurance.
I'm "lucky" - my employer pays 75% of the premium. And the surgery all told was about $56k. Far cry from the $22k estimate.
Insurance covered all but $2k thx to the ACA.
Instead we have the insurance oligarchy/dictatorship destroying lives,
but somehow that is ok.
American exceptionalism=
American self-destruction.
(How did The Onion survive the last 8 years?)
Not a nightmare scenario at all.
Warning shots across the bow…
Really Anthem BCBS? Really? Even the anesthesiologists misunderstood your policy? Either it did what the professionals said it did (dangerously limit anesthesia) or you wrote a shit policy, Anthem BCBS.
KEEP USING YOUR VOICE
Are these people animals to even suggest this?
Not sure that would change anything, but I’m grasping at straws here.
Guess ordinary folks need to keep the lawsuits going?
"Oh, they're coming after us now?"
Sure.
Funny how they got us to forget that.
These SCUMBAG companies should be driven into the sea.
Give people Universal Healthcare already!!!!!
How about they take some of their obscene salaries and even more obscene bonuses and buy themselves some…….
Get bent Anthem, we're tired of y'all's shit.
Bless you, my beloved.
It was an announcement from an anesthesiologist association mad that they wouldn't get to pad their hours anymore.
All Anthem did was say they'd bill commercially insured patients the same way they do for patients with Medicare/Medicaid.
This was more about billing codes than bilking patients.