Colorado became the 16th state to opt out of the rule; the change allows nurses who have at least a master’s degree in anesthesiology care to administer anesthesia.
Urban hospitals are not affected by Gov. Bill Ritter’s decision to opt the state out of the rule as they typically have 24-hour access to anesthesiologists, according to the report.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists expressed its disappointment in Gov. Ritter’s decision to exempt the state from the Medicare standard in a news release.
Read the Denver Post report about Colorado anesthesia.
Read more on the debate over appropriate anesthesia providers:
– New York Times Publishes Letters to the Editor Debating Who Should Provide Anesthesia Care
– ASA President Offers 6 Observations on Study of CRNAs as Sole Provider of Anesthesia Services
– ASA President Offers 7 Reasons to Question Anesthesia Cost-Containment Study
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