One of the country’s largest health insurers reversed a change in policy Thursday after widespread outcry, saying it would not tie payments in some states to the length of time a patient went under anesthesia. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said in a statement that its decision to backpedal resulted from “significant widespread misinformation” about the policy

To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services,” the statement said. “The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.” Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield would have used “physician work time values,” which is published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as the metric for anesthesia limits; maternity patients and patients under the age of 22 were exempt. But Dr. Jonathan Gal, economics committee chair of the American Society for Anesthesiologists, said it’s unclear how CMS derives those values.

In mid-November, the American Society of Anesthesiologists issued a press statement urging Anthem to “reverse the proposal immediately,” stating that the policy would have gone into force in New York, Connecticut, and Missouri in February. It’s unclear how many states would have been affected, but posters were also posted in Virginia and Colorado.

People around the country expressed their concerns and complaints on social media, and people in affected states were encouraged to contact their representatives. Some people suggested that the measure could protect patients from being overcharged. Gal claimed that the policy change would have been unusual, overlooked the “nuanced, unpredictable human element” of surgery, and was a clear “money grab.”

“It’s incomprehensible how a health insurance company could so blatantly continue to prioritize their profits over safe patient care,” said Mr. Cohen. “If Anthem is, in fact, rescinding the policy, we’re delighted that they came to their senses.” Prior to Anthem’s revelation Thursday, Connecticut Comptroller Sean Scanlon stated that the “concerning” policy will not effect the state following discussions with the insurance firm. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also confirmed in an emailed statement Thursday that her office had successfully intervened.

The insurance company’s policy change came just one day after the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, another large insurer, was shot and killed in New York City.