As we continue to monitor developments surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the government's response to the viral outbreak, ABC will update our client-partners as appropriate. Accordingly, we wish to pass on to you the following information from Blue Shield of California, which we hope you will find helpful during this time of uncertainty.Ne...

SummaryWith the growing popularity and usage of Ketamine as both an anesthetic and therapeutic agent, some anesthesia practices are considering adding Ketamine infusion therapy to their line of business. This article addresses the pros and cons of setting up a Ketamine clinic.Ketamine is a powerful anesthetic agent well known to all anesthesia prov...

SummaryObstetric anesthesia is either a make-or-break service for anesthesia practices. Its unique aspects, including (a) the use of epidurals that don't require continuous attention, (b) the ability to manage multiple cases simultaneously, and (c) complex, diverse and inconsistent billing rules, make it a subject for special consideration.From a b...

SummaryUnited Healthcare has announced a new policy intended to direct a long list of procedures to qualified surgical centers. This may be a positive development for anesthesia practices, even though it may reduce hospital volume.The cost of healthcare is slowly overshadowing other considerations in American medicine. Physicians tend to focus thei...

Anesthesia providers are facing the real possibility of a reduction in reimbursement for acute pain services in the coming year. However, the end of the story has yet to be written.As a follow-up to our recent articles on the proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for 2020 and our trend analysis of acute pain services, we would like to pro...