This story started with a number—a shortage of 139,000 physicians—and for anesthesiology that could mean a shortage of between 17,000 and 42,000 physician anesthesiologists. Throughout this season, it became clear that the exact number of physicians wasn’t the real story. All of the elements affecting the specialty, from changing practice models to the role of physician anesthesiologists to new business models, could leave anesthesia providers with either a better or more uncertain future.

In this episode of Anesthesiology News presents The Etherist, we try to find where that balance between the very good and potentially very bad exists today and what it could mean for the future of the specialty.

Sponsored by Masimo and Envision Physician Services

1. Association of American Medical Colleges. The complexities of physician supply and demand: projections from 2018 to 2033. June 2020. Accessed September 13, 2020. aamc.org/system/files/2020-06/stratcomm-aamc-physician-workforce-projections-june-2020.pdf

2. New York State Department of Finance. Out-of-network law (OON) guidance (part H of chapter 60 of the laws of 2014). September 16, 2015. Accessed October 5, 2020. dfs.ny.gov/insurance/health/OON_guidance.htm

3. New York State Health Foundation. Issue brief: new york’s efforts to reform surprise medical billing. February 2019. Accessed October 5, 2020. nyshealthfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/new-yorks-efforts-to-reform-surprise-medical-billing.pdf

4. Corlette S, Hoppe O. New York’s 2014 law to protect consumers from surprise out-of-network bills mostly working as intended: results of a case study. May 2019. Accessed October 5, 2020. georgetown.app.box.com/s/6onkj1jaiy3f1618iy7j0gpzdoew2zu9

5. American Society of Anesthesiologists. Surprise medical bills/out-of-network payment. Accessed October 5, 2020. asahq.org/advocacy-and-asapac/advocacy-topics/surprise-bills