Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has reversed a policy change that in some states tied payments to the length of time a patient was under anesthesia.
The insurance company, one of the country’s largest health insurers, reversed its decision after widespread outrage.
Their decision came just a day after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead in Manhattan on Wednesday morning.
In a statement, the company said: “To be clear, it has never been and will never be Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield’s policy not to pay for medically necessary anesthesia services.
‘The proposed update to the policy was intended solely to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia, in accordance with established clinical guidelines.’
The company allegedly used “physician work hour values,” which are published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as a benchmark for anesthesia limits, exempting maternity patients and patients under age 22.
Last month, the American Society for Anesthesiologists called on Anthem to “immediately reverse the proposal.”
The umbrella company for Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is Elevance Health, which is led by Gail Boudreaux, who previously held Thompson’s position as CEO of UnitedHealthCare.
Thompson was named CEO of UnitedHealthcare in 2021, reportedly making $10 million a year, and for several years before that led the Medicare business within UnitedHealthcare.
The insurance company, one of the country’s largest health insurers, reversed its steps after widespread outrage.
Their decision came just a day after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead in Manhattan on Wednesday morning
The umbrella company for Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is Elevance Health, led by Gail Boudreaux, seen here in January of this year
He was scheduled to speak at an investor meeting at the Hilton Hotel on Wednesday morning shortly after the shooting.
According to one edition of United Healthcare, he was scheduled to announce the company’s hugely profitable financial outlook for 2025 on Tuesday, including projected revenues of more than $450 billion.
UnitedHealthCare had hired security for their top executives, with Thompson having his own security staff for the event, who were absent when he was shot.
As news of his killing spread Wednesday morning, many major healthcare providers beefed up personal protections for their top officials, according to CNN.
Former Washington Post journalist Taylor Lorenz sparked outrage after she shared information and a photo of Blue Cross CEO Kim Keck online following the news.
Lorenz insisted she posted the information on her social media page so people could complain “in a calm way,” adding, “And people are wondering why we want these executives dead.”
Authorities say the gunman fled on foot and then fled to nearby Central Park on an electric bicycle.
Surveillance footage of the shooting shows Thompson walking alone outside the downtown hotel entrance when the gunman steps into view and opens fire.
The terrifying video shows the masked killer pull out a large gun and shoot Thompson in the back, leaving the CEO to stagger down the street as he continues shooting.
As Thompson staggered down the street, a witness in the hotel lobby sprinted away
The New York Police Department released the above image of the main suspect on Thursday
As the manhunt entered its second day Thursday, agents said they searched the Long Island Rail Road train the day before after receiving a tip that the killer was on board.
The tip turned out to be a dead end, but law enforcement officials urged the public to continue submitting tips to aid their ongoing manhunt.
Investigators also believe the killer left his personal phone at the scene, and not a burner as initially reported.
Authorities also targeted the HI New York City Hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where the suspect was believed to have been staying.
He is believed to have stayed in the shared room Tuesday night and checked in using a fake New Jersey ID.
It is now also believed that the weapon used in the shooting was a modern version of a rare World War II weapon.
Sources told The New York Post that investigators are focusing their efforts on a gun shop in Connecticut that they believe sold the B&T VP9 pistol.
It is now also believed that the weapon used in the shooting was a modern version of a rare World War II weapon, as seen here
Members of the New York Police Department’s Crime Scene Unit photograph bullets littering the sidewalk as they investigate the scene outside the Hilton Hotel
Bullets litter the sidewalk at the site outside the Hilton Hotel in downtown Manhattan where Thompson was fatally shot
Detectives investigating the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson also found shell casings with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” engraved on them.
Detectives are now trying to determine what the words mean and whether they could possibly point to a motive for the 50-year-old’s murder.
Thompson’s family left a note on the door of their Minnesota mansion, describing the director as an “incredibly loving, generous, talented man.”
Newly appointed Police Chief Jessica Tisch said the gunman “appeared to be lurking for several minutes” before closing in on Thompson.
Tisch added, “Many people passed by the suspect, but he appeared to be waiting for his intended target,” saying it did not “appear to be a random act of violence.”
Authorities also targeted the HI New York City Hostel, seen here, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where the suspect is believed to have been staying.
“From watching the video, it appears he is skilled in the use of firearms because he was able to clear the jams fairly quickly,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
His plan was well known, and witnesses said the suspected shooter even knew which door Thompson would exit through before opening fire.
Still, the investor conference reportedly began without interruption at 8 a.m. on the second floor of the Hilton until news of the shooting began to circulate.
Without knowing it was Thompson who was hit, one participant told the group that “someone got shot outside.”
CEO of parent company United Healthgroup Andrew Witty is said to have stopped the meeting at the hotel just after 8am when he heard of the tragedy.
He told those gathered: “We are dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members. As a result, I’m afraid we’ll have to end the event.”