Medicare’s New Physician Fee Schedule Gives CRNAs Expanded Recognition

The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) is celebrating newly established rules, expanding the recognition and responsibilities of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA). 

On Nov. 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the new Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) to take effect Jan. 1. 

The new PFS includes a provision which recognizes CRNA’s “ability to perform pre-anesthetic assessments in Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASC).” 

It also enables CRNAs to sign and date, rather than re-document, medical records made by other medical professionals. This change is motivated by a desire from the Trump administration to relieve the regulatory burden on Medicare. 

AANA President, Kate Jansky, praised the new PFS: 

“We are grateful and strongly support CMS’s action, which promotes key regulatory efficiencies and consistencies and adherence to standards in nursing practices.”

Jansky also suggested that CRNA’s “active role” in the regulatory process had some impact on the final PFS.

Read the AANA press release on the new PFS. 

Read CMS’s press release highlighting key features of the new PFS. 

Read the full report for the final rule on CMS.gov.