Anthem is owned by Elevance Health, which has Gail Boudreaux as the Chairman/CEO. She is formerly of United Healthcare. And while she is not a physician, there are hundreds of physicians under her direction and leadership who are making and enforcing these policies.
If they feel Anesthesiologists are charging too much during surgeries take it up with them, NOT THE PATIENTS. Anesthesiologists are well paid but also have some of the highest malpractice insurance rates. There are scenarios where issues occur during the surgery, which will go to litigation.⬆️ Costs
What anesthesiologist charge BY THE HOUR IS CRIMINAL. They usually have a CRNA doing the case, but they still charge by the hour for "their care". I've even seen them fall asleep during the case, usually when CRNAs aren't available to do the actual work.
Here in Canada, anesthesia is administered until the end of the surgical procedure, regardless of its length. This is one of the dangers of "socialism".
That’s what would happen here, too. It’s not like they would just stop the anesthesia mid surgery, it’s that after the surgery, you would wake up to a giant bill, even if you thought it was going to be covered on the way in.
It’s immoral, but it has to be done. You know, shareholders and such.
So, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield wants surgeons rushing procedures, regardless of complications they might find that couldn't have been known beforehand, or the recovering patient has to cover the anesthesia? Did I get that right???
I worked for a insurance company for a bit. It's absolutely ridiculous what needs a prior auth and then some get denied because "not necessary". I hate that insurance companies basically dictate how doctors do their job. It's dumb. A doctor should do their best and insurance shouldn't second guess
Thanks for noticing our plight. Every year our importance in the safety and comfort of your surgical or procedural journey is devalued by insurance corporations. It is relentless.
Not to mention that anesthesia is billed by the quarter hour. In other words, if the surgery takes, say...16 minutes...you will be billed for one half hour.
Arguably, a system that bankrupts or kills people for needing medical care and the people who benefit from it to the tune of millions are equally if not more vile. People have been pushed to this point by a broken system. That's the important takeaway.
It is. When the time for said surgery varies based on complex factors. They have to be there, alert and focused, for the duration of the surgery. Their time and knowledge a constant factor throughout.
Only medical professionals making decisions during an active surgery is not a stretch request.
Just the beginning of the death cycle of innocent people, from inception to life saving surgery, there will be many denials and many deaths as a result.
This. Is. Shocking!! What’s next out of this insurance company & who’s next in line to follow this practice? What is wrong with our healthcare system in our country????
I just effing CAN’T. Anyone who doesn’t realize how messed up healthcare is, is not paying attention. UHC ceo? Don’t have enough space to recount how badly they just f**ked over my brother in ways from which he may not recover. Won’t be surprised if shooter lost a family member to their cruelty.
I mean, seriously? You’re on the operating table, blissfully under anesthesia, but a minor or major complication arises & the surgery takes a bit longer than expected. So now the anesthesiologist has to decide whether to keep you blissfully unaware OR LET IT WEAR OFF BECAUSE INSURANCE WON’T PAY???
The insurance banks on the fact that the doctor will do what's right on the O.R. to avoid problems and risk taking the loss, knowing that contesting every incident won't be feasible for the doctor ( in most cases, a small pllc). The hospital will also take a loss, don't know how they'll view it.
Patient: "Hello"
Surgeon: "would you like a whole operation or only a half?"
Patient: "Whole"
Surgeon: "Sign this"
Patient: "What is it"
Surgeon: "A bill for $50,000"
So while profiting nearly $6 billion last year, Anthem BCBS celebrates by exploiting loopholes to ignore medical standards, endanger lives, and shift costs onto vulnerable patients. Arbitrary limits on anesthesia deepen suffering and worsen healthcare inequity—patients deserve so much better 💔
FILE MEDICAL BANKRUPTCY- it’s what the GREAT MAGA BUSINESSMAN/GRIFTING 45/47 DOES TO ENRICH HIMSELF—PUT STUDENT DEBT BACK UNDER THE LAW OR CALL IT PPP!🤷🏽♂️
There ahould be a scale. If you have paid for a certain number of years and not used your policy to the max, you either a) stop paying premiums or b) your coverage amount increases at no extra cost to you.
WTF!? I would HATE to be the patient that had surgery and something went awry and they needed to keep me under longer than thought and had to have the continued surgery done while I was NOT under anesthetic. OMG!
How TF are they able to get away with SHIT like this?? Who TF do they think they are to pretty much JUDGE how much time a person should have anesthesia?? I SWEAR!!! These M FS’!!!!!
OK, so now there needs to be a credit card reader in the OR so the patient can add more time under anesthesia in the event the procedure takes longer than some arbitrary book time. Not a good look.
They know they can get away with it.
They feel that they are indispensable. We should put them out of business.
They are nothing but administrative middle people and serve no real purpose but JUST LOOK AT THEIR STOCK prices since the inception of ACA.
I'm shaking my head! This is unconscionable and Malpractice. As a heart attack survivor who underwent a quadruple bi-pass surgery I am at a loss if my surgery had encountered complications that extended the time beyond what the "manual" listed as normal!!!
Hope no one needs medical care any time in the next decade because this shit is gonna get worse the second the 🍊one is back in the Oval Office if this is what they are pulling while Biden is sit there.
Did they not notice the news today? I mean I don't know the shooter's motivation, but I've read plenty of not so sympathic comments all over. Other than that, this is an inhumane response.
Sure way to end this kind of stupidity. Make it a law that everyone at the company must use their company's medical plan that is available across the board to everyone. They cannot go outside the company and can't buy extra benefits.
It’s because there are MANY anesthesiologists fraudulently claiming they used hours of time/product for a 30 minute procedure to upcode on their claims for higher reimbursement rates.
Do these Healthcare companies not watch the news? People are getting tired of this sh*t and fighting back. I'm 5000% SURE the murder of United Healthcare was due to someone, somewhere getting denied coverage. MARK MY WORDS!
So republicans and random unqualified strangers in an office at insurance company get to decide out healthcare and not out doctors. Makes so much sense 🙄.
Anthem did add, though, that when the arbitrary time limit expires shots of whiskey and a knife to bite on is offered for a copayment fee of $95. It needs to be approved though so it’s best to set that up before the surgery.
Here’s what they’re saying. You are having surgery for blah which normally takes two hours. Your surgery took three hours so your insurance will pay for two and you pay for that 3rd hour. Nobody will wake up in the middle of surgery.
Yes. And very comforting to know the surgeon may be rushing the procedure if concerned or worse, taking his time if he gets a fraction of the profit ‘under the table’. This simply reeks of greed. The anesthetists that I know will take care of their patients. Insane greed!
"And then they had to turn off the anaesthetic to avoid a cost overrun" is not a phrase that I expected to pop into my head today, but America's health insurance system provides a rich vein of Kaka-esque horror.
Not only outrageous but incredibly stupid. Imagine the cost of fighting multiple lawsuits that will wipe out their perceived cost cutting action.
Tri-state people -- start looking for surgeons in NJ.
Members of the ASA should make every effort to know their patients, and appropriately adjust the anesthetic levels for surgery for executives of BC/BS.
I’m trying to find one thing a day that I can do to engage the political system in order to not feel completely helpless. That’s a good one for tomorrow.
"Wake up! I know your surgery is only half done, but we need to know if you want to allow it to finish since you're going to have to cover the anesthesia for the rest of it. We have forms you'll need to sign saying you agree."
An oligarch is the owner of a key resource or political influence. The correct term for the man who was murdered in New York was probably "hireling", although "lackey" would apply if he was a trusted servant of a wealthy individual.
He owned health insurance. In America today, that is THE KEY SCARCE RESOURCE. And HE denied tens of thousands of Americans coverage for which they had already paid. I’m sticking with oligarch.
Mother fuckers! These insurance companies love to take our money and give nothing in return.
These billionaires are the ones stopping us from having medicare for all. It's never about patient care just what that patient is worth to them.
A lack of conscience is the reason why some people can look at themselves in the mirror without flinching. Others have consciences, but believe that they're doing the right thing. Still others do flinch, but hide it well in public.
It's amazing the shit the American public will put up with coming from private-enterprise healthcare bureaucrats looking to screw them over at every turn in order to increase profitability for insurance companies, while at the same time slagging government regulators trying to protect them.
Individual states can and should pass laws disallowing this. At first, BCBS will just halt operations in that state, but the logistics of doing that will be costly. Large employers will move away from them and they can’t sustain that. Especially if it starts with NY.
Why "call on them to..."? Just don't contract with them. If providers don't contract with them, they won't exist. It really is that simple. The medical community needs to step up, be loud and aggressive, speak out against things that go against their oath, including providing care to women.
After being forced through bogus audits of my notes (I'm a mental health therapist) with them, in an attempt to claw back money, I absolutely refuse to work with them.
Also a therapist. One place I practiced - self pay was normal, I did not contract with insurance. But now I practice in a less affluent area and people must use their insurance to afford mental health care. I hate the insurance low pay and BS but want to be accessible to people. Quandary.
Since when did anesthesiologists work by the hour? Remember, when you see a gofundme begging for $ for little Johnny's operation, it means they'll be paying for doctors making millions and hospital execs making even more. Otherwise, Johnny can die.
Comments
“How was it? Is the procedure over?”
“Err no. We just need your card details….”
We should regulate the hell out of insurance companies.
It’s immoral, but it has to be done. You know, shareholders and such.
I once had an operation on my elbow that took so long the surgeon had to change shifts
Betting .
“The price for anesthesia services for a hip replacement of a specified complexity is $X,XXX” isn’t an entirely outlandish proposition.
Only medical professionals making decisions during an active surgery is not a stretch request.
#Nurses
#NurseLife
Surgeon: "would you like a whole operation or only a half?"
Patient: "Whole"
Surgeon: "Sign this"
Patient: "What is it"
Surgeon: "A bill for $50,000"
- Not even close
Well, we're out of time. Sew him up.
They feel that they are indispensable. We should put them out of business.
They are nothing but administrative middle people and serve no real purpose but JUST LOOK AT THEIR STOCK prices since the inception of ACA.
sorry
https://bsky.app/profile/aaronblackshear.bsky.social/post/3lcjm4ok3yk2w
please correct this
Hint re New York shooting
Note book title re hitmans bullet casings
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7932991-delay-deny-defend
It’s because there are MANY anesthesiologists fraudulently claiming they used hours of time/product for a 30 minute procedure to upcode on their claims for higher reimbursement rates.
It’s doctors, healthcare organizations, big pharma and hospitals that LOBBY against your best interest.
sorry
https://bsky.app/profile/aaronblackshear.bsky.social/post/3lcjm4ok3yk2w
please correct this
We're screwed here.
Tri-state people -- start looking for surgeons in NJ.
About time.
Maybe wake someone at the AMA too!
They’re literally rubbing our faces in it, making sure we know our place.
Cruelty is the point.
These billionaires are the ones stopping us from having medicare for all. It's never about patient care just what that patient is worth to them.
The Onion
????