It is one of the most enduring challenges faced by the specialty and one unique to anesthesiology – the discrepancy in Medicare payments for anesthesia services known as the “33% Problem”. Whereas Medicare rates for other specialties represent between 75% and 85% of their commercial payment rates, payment for anesthesia services are less than one-third of commercial rates. In fact, it has been determined by some that the real number is likely now in the mid-20% range. ASA's economic experts have been working ceaselessly to address this issue since the early 1990s, soon after the flawed Resource-Based Relative Value Scale was established in 1992. Today, ASA continues to devote significant resources to the 33% Problem, including through our Payment Progress Initiative (asamonitor.pub/3Qi9WTk), and the issue has been explored extensively in the ASA Monitor (asamonitor.pub/3AmE76F).
This month, the Monitor reached out to two anesthesiology thought leaders who...
