On Oct. 1, a new UnitedHealthcare policy went into effect, cutting reimbursements to certified registered nurse anesthetists by 15%.
The policy update was issued on July 1 and applies to claims for anesthesia services rendered by CRNAs practicing independently. For claims billed under the QZ modifier — those rendered by CRNAs — the provider will now receive 85% of the allowable.
CRNAs in Arkansas, California, Ohio, Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Wyoming are exempt from the new reduction.
The update has drawn criticism from the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, who told Becker’s in an Oct. 1 email that the policy “threatens patient care” and could lead to delayed procedures and strained access to care, particularly in rural and underserved communities where CRNAs are more heavily utilized for anesthesia services.
The AANA also claims the policy is in violation of a provider nondiscrimination provision outlined in the ACA. The organization has also written a coalition letter urging the secretaries at the Department of Labor, HHS and Department of Treasury to investigate and prohibit commercial payers from violating this nondiscrimination provision.