Medicare Coverage of Anesthesia Services During Screening Colonoscopies for Patients at Low Risk of Sedation-Related Complications.

Medicare Coverage of Anesthesia Services During Screening Colonoscopies for Patients at LowRisk of Sedation-Related Complications In 2014, theCenters forMedicare&Medicaid Serviceswaived patient cost sharing for anesthesia services during screening colonoscopies.1 The current professional guidelines recommend that sedation be provided by the gastroenterologist-nurse team; a separate anesthesiologist or nurseanesthetist should be involved and paid separately only for patients with an increased risk of sedationrelated complications.2 The stated rationale is that the provision of anesthesia has become standard practice for colonoscopies and that eliminating cost sharing may increase the rates of these examinations. We examined the costs and potential benefit of the Medicare rule change.