Home

  • Home
    • » e-Newsletters

SD puts greater trust in nurse anesthetists

Ambulatory Surgery Reimbursement Update, March 29, 2005

The state of South Dakota became the 13th state to opt out of a federal regulation set down by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding physician supervision of nurse anesthetists.

According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Web site (www.aana.com), South Dakota Gov. M. Michael Rounds decided to opt out of the regulation, effective immediately, "in the best interests of South Dakota's citizens, rural communities, and hospitals."

The anesthesia care ruling that calls for close supervision of nurse anesthetists' activities by physicians was enacted in November of 2001. However, it allows for the governor of a state to opt out, in writing, once that governor has consulted with the state's boards of medicine and nursing, determined that opting out of the requirement is consistent with state law, and decided that it is in the best interests of the state's citizens to do so.

South Dakota joins Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, and Washington as states that have opted out of the ruling. In the three years since states have begun opting out, there have been no reports of anesthesia patient deaths or injuries related to the removal of physician supervision.

Most Popular