Anthem BCBS Considers Reversing Controversial Button Policy

Indianapolis, IN - Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, a subsidiary of Elevance Health, Inc. and one of the largest health insurers in the country, has announced that it may reverse a recently instituted policy that link payments to the pressing of a button every three minutes during invasive procedures.

A surgical team trying to find the Anthem BCBS button, which appears in a new location every morning, before Mrs. Gunderson has to pay out of pocket for her emergency appendectomy

"This was all a big misunderstanding," Elevance Health, Inc. CEO Gail Koziara Boudreaux explained. "I want to be extremely transparent and say that this was never, and I mean absolutely never about avoiding paying for medically necessary surgeries. We merely wanted to streamline the process of ensuring that any procedures are done in an efficient and timely fashion according to well-established clinical guidelines."

Since the new policy went into effect last month, physicians performing surgical procedures have been required to press a button every three minutes until completion. The percentage of the patient's bill covered by the insurance company decreases over time with more pushes of the button. If three minutes elapse without a push, any charges occurring after that point are not covered at all.

Many experts speaking out against the policy change have called on Anthem to reverse the proposal amid a barrage of concerns and complaints from people across the country. According to Blake Lambswool, a physician and prominent online critic of insurance companies, and police departments for some reason, one strategy that may be playing an important role in the possible reversal is the notification of legislators in affected states. "The recent murder of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare might also help change some minds. I'm completely against public executions in all forms, but that guy was a monster and I'm not exactly upset that he's dead. Just sayin'. But seriously, murder is bad. Still, what do they expect people to do with guys like that? Not murder them? Anyway, I'm happy that Anthem might come around."