RESOURCES FOR LEGISLATORS

Anesthesia and Lawmakers
As costs continue to rise, healthcare policymakers are balancing a mandate by their constituents to make the system more efficient and accessible, all while maintaining safe, high-quality service delivery.
Research suggests a CRNA-based anesthesia care model moves lawmakers a step closer to meeting that challenge.
The Perfect Model, Safe and Cost-Effective
While all anesthesia professionals deliver the same anesthetics, there are several models for who makes up the anesthesia delivery team:
Care-team Model
Physician anesthesiologists supervising resident physicians in training and directing qualified non-physician anesthesia providers, such as CRNAs, who ultimately administer the anesthetics.
All-MD Model
Anesthesia care provided by medical doctors only, specifically physician anesthesiologists. Because of the higher staff costs, this model is most prevalent in one- or two-room surgery centers and less common in large ambulatory service centers.
All-CRNA Model
Anesthesia care delivered by CRNAs independently, without the involvement of an anesthesiologist. In states where supervision is required, CRNAs practicing in this model can be supervised by any licensed physician.
MD+CRNA Model
This model functions much like the care team model but with fewer supervision requirements, allowing CRNAs to function according to their full scope of practice.