The California Superior Court in San Francisco has upheld Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's June 2009 decision to opt out of the federal physician supervision rule for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA). The presiding judge ruled that California state law does not specifically require CRNAs to be supervised by physicians when administering anesthesia, and therefore Gov. Schwarzenegger was within his rights to opt out of the federal rule.
Colorado’s Governor Ritter opted-out of the CRNA Medicare supervision requirement in rural and Critical Access Hospitals in September, becoming one of fifteen states that have opted out of the requirement. The Colorado Society of Anesthesiologists and the Colorado Medical Society filed suit in Denver District Court to block Governor Ritter’s opt-out decision and this legal challenge is still pending.
CRHC congratulates California on this important victory and applauds the Colorado advocates of CRNA opt-out, including the Colorado Hospital Association, Colorado Nurses Association, Colorado Association of Nurse Anesthetists, and many individuals and healthcare providers who all support this effort.
