TLDR: The insurance company has a new policy, set to take effect in February 2025, where they decide how much anesthesia is needed for surgeries. They won’t pay for any anesthesia over that, with exemptions for maternity and pediatric cases and for Connecticut providers.

The article also notes the insurance company reported a $2.3 billion net income increase in June 2024.

Edit to update: Anthem now says they won’t put this policy into effect

      • gibmiser@lemmy.world
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        19 days ago

        https://www.change.org/

        Was thinking about it. Even if it’s not taken seriously and even if it never gets Joe Biden signature, this would be a real good way to send a message to the nation. Just how many people the absolute number of people who are angry to the point of letting people kill CEO’s Because of injustice and inequality.

    • The Pantser@lemmy.world
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      19 days ago

      He would have to be known. I would rather the guy stay anon so his life isn’t ruined. He can live the rest of his life without the fear of corpo vengeance. Also he probably would never be able to be insured again lol. Either that or he’s terminal and his care was denied so he had nothing to lose.

      • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
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        19 days ago

        I got diagnosed with stage 3 cancer in 2022 (cured now). I can totally see how someone could go full The Punisher on healthcare execs if their life-saving treatment was denied. The problem isn’t facing your own mortality, that doesn’t take long to process. What is an impossible pill to swallow is the thought of leaving your loved ones drowned in an avalanche of medical debt and possible financial ruin. Fuck that.

        Deny
        Depose
        Defend

  • Aeao@lemmy.world
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    19 days ago

    That’s a nice CEO you got there. Be a shame if something happened to them.

  • Optional@lemmy.world
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    19 days ago

    Well I certainly hope we don’t need to see someone step in to explain to the company how wrong this is.

    • lectricleopard@lemmy.world
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      19 days ago

      “One of the reasons that she has remained so active in this particular field is because she has seen what it does to people when they can’t get insurance to cover the healthcare they need."

      Sadists.

      • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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        19 days ago

        “One of the reasons that she has remained so active in this particular field is because she has seen what it does to people when they can’t get insurance to cover the healthcare they need."

        FTFY. It makes the people desperate enough to buy her product.

    • raoul@lemmy.sdf.org
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      19 days ago

      "One of the reasons that she has remained so active in this particular field is because she has seen what it does to people when they can’t get insurance to cover the healthcare they need,” Money Inc. wrote.

    • floofloof@lemmy.ca
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      19 days ago

      From January 2011 to November 2014, she served as the chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare

      Small world, when you move in those circles. Imagine how these people convince themselves they’re doing something good and admirable.

  • elucubra@sopuli.xyz
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    18 days ago

    The fact that there aren’t riots in the US demanding universal care simply baffles me.

  • Krauerking@lemy.lol
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    19 days ago

    So they can hurt millions of people all just a little bit more but somehow they are the good guys worth protecting?

    Yeah, we’d be right to start carving names into bullets too. And yet people in charge can’t figure out why protecting these people and their money means the mass populace hates them.

      • NABDad@lemmy.world
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        19 days ago

        They aren’t saying you won’t get anesthesia. That would be wrong.

        You just have to pay the bill when you wake up.

        • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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          19 days ago

          You’re assuming doctors will make their decisions based on the legitimate medical needs of their patients.

          But hospital policies are often chosen for other reasons, such as ensuring all bills get paid in full, and no lawsuits are filed by anyone who has enough lawyers to win.

          Those policies can put a doctor’s employment and/or license in jeopardy.

          Doctors are already choosing to let women die rather than get in trouble for doing medically necessary abortions.

          Will they cut anesthesia short and hope they can finish sewing in time? Unlikely, but not nonzero.

  • wizardbeard@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    19 days ago

    So, at the absolute most charitable interpretation, this punishes patients for having a slow surgical staff or for a surgery having complications. Like most insurance things, punishing the patient for shit completely outside of their control.

    On top of this, best outcome of this (for doctors to try and ensure their patients don’t need to decide between potential financial ruin or surgery) would be for all surgical departments to wildly inflate their surgery times so they can’t ever be over estimate. This will significantly reduce the amount of surgeries able to be completed per day, and hike up the price even more as they have to bill for more time.

    The only possible justification for this is attempting to find another place to lower financial costs to the insurance company at any “cost”. I miss when these people had enough shame to not go this mask off.

    • Krauerking@lemy.lol
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      19 days ago

      This actually sets a time limit for anesthesia regardless of procedure or estimated time from the doctors.
      It’s entirely up to the insurance company to set an arbitrary time with which they think medical care should be provided within and deny past.

      It’s nothing but appalling cruelness for the sake of it, and a few extra dollars for a CEO and board of Directors that deserve the opposite of health care.

  • weew@lemmy.ca
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    19 days ago

    Of course, because in the USA, insurance companies think they understand medicine better than doctors.

  • Treczoks@lemmy.world
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    18 days ago

    Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said in a statement that its decision to backpedal resulted from “significant widespread misinformation” about the policy.

    Ah, yes, if people complain about being mistreated, it is always “Our plan was misunderstood”, or “The critique is based on misinformation”…