“They wonder why that CEO man got shot” — Internet reacts to Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield capping anesthesia coverage amid Brian Thompson’s murder

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance announced that it would no longer cover anesthesia for surgeries outside a particular time frame, and social media users had a lot to say. On November 1, the health insurance plan provider's statement detailed that it was going to use CMS Physician Work Time values to calculate the minutes taken for anesthesia services.

If the surgery exceeds the pre-determined time limit, the insurance provider will refuse to pay for the services. This will apply to patients in New York State, Missouri, and Connecticut over the age of 22 on all claims accepted on or after February 2, 2025. The terms won't apply to patients requiring maternity-related care.

Social media users were not too thrilled with the announcement. Netizens were surprised by the announcement coming so close to the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning, December 4. One X (formerly known as Twitter) user who went by @lanitarosay tweeted out:

"And they wonder why that CEO man got shot,"

Disgruntled netizens referenced Brian Thompson's shooting (Image via X/@PopCrave)

Similar reactions followed as more and more social media users noted Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield's announcement timing with respect to Brian Thompson's death. Here are a few X reactions to the insurance provider's announcement:

Netizens thought Brian Thompson's murder may affect the policy (Image via X/@PopCrave)

Social media users expressed their outrage at the whole situation as people started asking why they were even paying for healthcare.

Netizens were outraged (Image via X/@PopCrave)

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists opposed Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield's anesthesia services caps

In a statement published on Saturday, November 14, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) expressed their opposition to Anthem's proposed caps on anesthesia services. The ASA called the insurance provider's move yet another example of "Insurers Putting Profits Over Patients".

The organization called on Anthem to immediately reverse the proposal and detailed that anesthesiologists provided individualized care to their patients and that payment for the services depended on various factors. This included the exact time limit for anesthesiologists to administer services preoperatively, during the procedure, and the transition into recovery.

The new policy will mean that Anthem will pre-determine the time required to administer anesthesia services during a procedure. The ASA detailed that Anthem would deny payment for the anesthesiologist’s care if an anesthesiologist submitted a bill where the actual time of care exceeded the insurance provider's set limit. The organization explained:

"With this new policy, Anthem will not pay anesthesiologists for delivering safe and effective anesthesia care to patients who may need extra attention because their surgery is difficult, unusual or because a complication arises."

Donald E. Arnold, the president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, called Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield's move a "cynical money grab" designed to take advantage of anesthesiologists' commitment. The ASA urged disgruntled citizens to contact their state insurance provider.

The ASA's statement further noted that Anthem (Elevance Healthcare) made an over-year net income of $2.3 billion, a 24.12% increase. The company's year-over-year net profit margin also increased by 24.29%.