Docs Oppose Aetna Plan on Colonoscopies

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A group of doctors from New Jersey is opposing a plan by Aetna Inc. to drop coverage of a type of anesthesia used during colonoscopies.

Gastroenterologists and other doctors say patients anxious about colorectal screening may balk unless they are assured that their insurance coverage includes the cost of anesthesiologists who administer propofol, an anesthesia the doctors say is effective and comfortable.

"The idea should be to encourage these procedures because of their lifesaving ramifications," said John Fanburg, counsel for the New Jersey State Society of Anesthesiologists and the New Jersey Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Society.

Aetna says moderate sedation, which it will continue to cover, works just as well and does not require an anesthesiologist, which can drive up the cost of the procedure by between $200 and $1,000. Gastroenterologists generally decide whether to use propofol or moderate sedation.

http://finance.myway.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt.jsp?section=news&feed=ap&src=601&news_id=ap-d8ujqf2g0&date=20080204

And no doubt made by a whippersnapper bean-counter who hasn't had a colonoscopy---yet.

Valium does of too

to all those friendly insurance guys and gals... without propofol, of course.

but conscious sedation is effective, cheaper and safer. Americans have to realize that there will be some hard choices as we really try and address the health care crisis and we can not always have what we want. We will have to make some economic decisions as well.

Oh, and no matter what you do, a colonoscopy is not going to be "comfortable".

..in fact, I never knew they were doing anything. Had it been conscious sedation, then perhaps they might be uncomfortable, but certainly not with a propofol.

And i just meant comfortable as "providing physical ease and relaxation". Not the same as saying something is not uncomfortable.

that would perform one without knocking the patient out to be the equivalent of a torturer.

I have a very high tolerance for pain, been walking on an ankle that was broken and never set since 2002, and the one I had without total sedation had me screaming so loudly that my ex could hear me down the hall outside the OR section.

Nurses have told me it was inexcusable to torment anyone like that. Have you even had one before?

Twenty-twenty-twenty four hours to go I wanna be sedated
Nothin' to do and no where to go-o-oh I wanna be sedated
Just get me to the airport put me on a plane
Hurry hurry hurry before I go insane
I can't control my fingers I can't control my brain
Oh no no no no no
Twenty-twenty-twenty four hours to go....
Just put me in a wheelchair, get me on a plane
Hurry hurry hurry before I go insane
I can't control my fingers I can't control my brain
Oh no no no no no
Twenty-twenty-twenty four hours to go I wanna be sedated
Nothin' to do and no where to go-o-o I wanna be sedated
Just put me in a wheelchair get me to the show
Hurry hurry hurry before I go loco
I can't control my fingers I can't control my toes
Oh no no no no no
Twenty-twenty-twenty four hours to go...
Just put me in a wheelchair...
Ba-ba-bamp-ba ba-ba-ba-bamp-ba I wanna be sedated
Ba-ba-bamp-ba ba-ba-ba-bamp-ba I wanna be sedated
Ba-ba-bamp-ba ba-ba-ba-bamp-ba I wanna be sedated
Ba-ba-bamp-ba ba-ba-ba-bamp-ba I wanna be sedated

I don't think they were talking about colonoscopies, though

and it was done with the conscious sedation. This is the second one that I have had this way. I don't know what happened when they were going through the process, but I don't remember a damn thing now, and I would not hesitate having the conscious sedation again.

Oh, yeah, they are having me back again next week for an endoscopy with the same meds. Yippeee!!! ...not!