Insurer halts controversial anesthesia policy; Americans don’t associate HPV with throat cancer; AI for primary care curriculum – Morning Medical Update

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Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield halts anesthesia payment policy after backlash

Last month, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (Anthem) announced that, on plans in Connecticut, New York and Missouri, it would limit reimbursements for anesthesia during surgery and medical procedures, instead reimbursing doctors based on arbitrary time limits set by the insurer. The policy announcement initially went relatively unnoticed, with the exception of being condemned by the American Society of Anesthesiologists upon its announcement. Now, following a wave of backlash likely sparked by last week's killing of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the insurer said they are no longer going ahead with the policy change. NBC News has the full story.

“There has been significant, widespread misinformation about an update to our anesthesia policy,” a statement from the insurer read. “Based on feedback received and misinterpretation of our policy change, it is evident that our communication regarding this policy was not clear, and as a result, we have decided not to proceed with this policy change.”

U.S. patients don’t know that HPV causes throat cancer

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI), and it also accounts for 70% of all threat cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute. Dispute commonly being associated with cervical cancer, throat cancer is now the most common HPV-related cancer. However, according to two recent studies from the University of Southern California (USC) Head and Neck Center and the USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, less than one-third of Americans associate HPV with throat cancer, and less than 7% of adults eligible for the HPV vaccine have completed the vaccine’s full three-dose-course.

“This data is very worrisome because knowledge is the first step toward disease prevention,” Daniel Kwon, MD, a head and neck surgeon with Keck Medicine, said in a university release. “The public is missing crucial information about the link between throat cancer and HPV, as well as the fact that vaccines may prevent HPV-related throat cancer.”

AI and machine learning for primary care (AiM-PC) curriculum

Together with the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and American Board of Family Medicine, the Annals of Family Medicine has announced the development of the official Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) for Primary Care (AiM-PC) curriculum for medical students, primary care residents and practicing primary care clinicians. AiM-PC will equip medical learners with skill needed to use AI/ML in their practices and ensure that usage is responsible and ethical.

The curriculum will consist of 5 modules, covering the essentials, social and ethical implications, evidence-based evaluation of tools, enhanced clinical encounters and integration into the clinic—all of which are designed for those with minimal AI/ML experience. AiM-PC will be launched in stages, beginning in late 2024, through Spring 2025. Find the full research article here.