CANA Sponsors Legislation to Increase Access to Anesthesia Care and Prevent Disruptions
(Sacramento, CA) – Today, Assemblymember Heath Flora (R-Ripon) introduced his California Anesthesia Access Package, a comprehensive legislative package to increase access to high-quality and coordinated anesthesia services and ensure uninterrupted care for Californians throughout the state.
“For decades, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists/Anesthesiologists (CRNAs) have practiced independently in rural and urban areas of the state to ensure Californians have access to quality services,” said Emily Francke, CRNA, President of CANA. “Unfortunately, this last year saw unprecedented attacks on our profession that directly impacted Californians’ ability to receive the timely, high-quality anesthesia care they need and deserve. Assemblymember Flora’s legislative package is urgently needed to prevent care disruptions, improve patient safety, and ensure CRNAs can continue their 40-year legacy of delivering high-quality services in the Golden State.”
Assemblymember Flora’s California Anesthesia Access Package (AB 876 and AB 1215) will improve care quality, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and better address provider redundancies. Specifically: AB 876 seeks to clarify existing statutes within the Nurse Anesthetist Act to safeguard patients’ access to quality and timely anesthesia care and improve health outcomes; AB 1215 aims to amend California Code Regulations Title 22 to ensure CRNAs are represented on medical boards, thereby improving patient-centered care and ensuring anesthesia services are never unnecessarily disrupted.
“Current regulations are outdated, overlook significant contributions of non-physician providers, and deprive health care facilities of the ability to comprehensively assess the quality of anesthesia care provided to patients,” said Assemblymember Flora. “Never again will my constituents – nor any Californians – be negatively impacted by unnecessary care disruptions. Through these two important pieces of legislation, California will create a more collaborative, accessible, and efficient anesthesia environment for providers and residents alike.”
In 2024, nearly 1,000 surgeries were unnecessarily canceled due to facility bylaws failing to align with CRNA practice authority, disproportionately affecting Medi-Cal and Medicare patients. By clarifying existing regulations, California can increase access to anesthesia services, improve health care facilities’ governance and decision-making, promote patient-centered care, prevent misinterpretations, and strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration.
