Becker's Healthcare September 29, 2025
When private insurers began cutting QZ reimbursements to 85%, they framed it as “alignment” and “standardization.” Strip away the euphemisms and you find an old story: a margin-play that offloads risk and cost onto hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and the patients who can least absorb it. Cigna moved first in 2023, followed by Anthem in 2024; UnitedHealthcare is rolling them out next month. Others will certainly follow.
This is not the harmless tweak to a billing modifier that these insurers have sold. Rather, it is a targeted devaluation of the most widely distributed anesthesia workforce in America. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) handle millions of cases safely every year. Across the US, CRNAs represent more than 80% of anesthesia providers...
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