Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield changes back a debated payment rule for anesthesia after people speak out.

A big health insurance company, Anthem, changed its mind about a new rule. This rule would have made people pay more for longer surgeries. Many people were upset about this rule and complained, so Anthem decided to cancel it.

Anthem said they would never stop paying for necessary medical care. They said the rule was only meant to make sure people were getting the right amount of anesthesia. But doctors and patients were worried that the rule would make surgeries more expensive and less safe.

Anthem wanted to use a system from the government to decide how much anesthesia is enough. But doctors said this system is not a good way to measure how much anesthesia someone needs. Every surgery is different, and patients need different amounts of anesthesia depending on the situation.

Doctors and patients were worried that this rule would make Anthem more money but would not be good for patients. They were happy when Anthem decided to cancel the rule. Some states also talked to Anthem about the rule and were able to stop it from affecting their residents.

This all happened shortly after the leader of another big insurance company was killed. It is unclear if these two events are related. It is important for insurance companies to make sure people can afford healthcare, but they also need to make sure people get the care they need.