The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has revised the interpretive guidelines for anesthesia delivered in hospitals. The changes focus on the differences between anesthesia and analgesia services, where the patient does not lose consciousness.
The memo released by CMS provides hospitals with information on what practitioners may provide anesthesia services, what hospital policies should include regarding who is allowed to administer these services, guidelines on the supervision of anesthesiology assistants, and a list of information that must be included in a patient’s anesthesia record.