Coverage Alert
New ASA Standard for Basic Anesthesia Monitoring Effective July 1, 2011.

Shawnee Mission, Kansas - June 27, 2011 - Preferred Physicians Medical (PPM), industry leading provider of professional liability insurance for anesthesia practices, announced today that coverage under its policy will be modified to permit additional time to comply with recent changes to the ASA Standard for Basic Anesthesia Monitoring with regard to regional anesthesia during moderate or deep sedation.

ASA's current standard for Basic Anesthesia Monitoring reads:

During regional anesthesia and monitored anesthesia care, the adequacy of ventilation shall be evaluated by continual observation of qualitative clinical signs and/or monitoring for the presence of exhaled carbon dioxide.

Effective July 1, 2011, ASA's new standard will require:

During regional anesthesia (with no sedation) or local anesthesia (with no sedation), the adequacy of ventilation shall be evaluated by continual observation of qualitative clinical signs. During moderate or deep sedation, the adequacy of ventilation shall be evaluated by continual observation of qualitative clinical signs and monitoring for the presence of exhaled carbon dioxide unless precluded or invalidated by the nature of the patient, procedure or equipment.

PPM's Professional Liability contract specifies on page 4, item 5-6, practice standards that the policyholder specifically agrees:

(a) To practice in accordance with all current ASA standards for Basic Anesthetic Monitoring

Due to the short time frame until the new standard becomes effective, PPM recognizes there is the possibility that all practice locations may not be in compliance with the new standard by July 1, 2011. Therefore, PPM is modifying its policy provisions to extend additional time for PPM policyholders to comply with this standard to January 1, 2012.

For additional information on the ASA Standards we direct you to the ASA website at http://www.asahq.org.

For questions regarding your professional liability coverage please call PPM's Underwriting Department at 1-800-562-5589.