117,400
Nurse Anesthetists
100%
Accepting patients
74%
Most common: CRNA
FindClarity lists 117,400 nurse anesthetists nationwide. 100% are currently accepting new patients. The most common credential is CRNA (74%). 68% accept Medicare.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are advanced practice nurses who administer anesthesia for surgeries, procedures, and pain management. They hold a master's or doctoral degree (DNP) in nurse anesthesia on top of their RN license and critical care nursing experience. Training takes seven to eight years total (bachelor's + ICU experience + nurse anesthesia program). CRNAs must pass the National Certification Examination and maintain certification through continuing education.
CRNAs administer every type of anesthesia: general, regional (spinal, epidural), local, and sedation. They practice in hospitals, surgical centers, dental offices, pain management clinics, and military/VA facilities. CRNAs provide the majority of anesthesia care in rural hospitals and are the sole anesthesia providers in many communities.
CRNAs work independently in some states and under physician or anesthesiologist supervision in others. Research shows equivalent safety outcomes whether anesthesia is delivered by a CRNA working independently or by a physician anesthesiologist. CRNAs are the most common anesthesia providers in the U.S. military.
You see a CRNA when you need anesthesia for a surgical procedure, a diagnostic procedure requiring sedation (colonoscopy, endoscopy), labor and delivery pain management (epidural), or a pain management procedure (nerve block, epidural steroid injection). In most cases, you do not choose your anesthetist directly; they are assigned by the surgical facility. However, you can ask in advance whether a CRNA or anesthesiologist will be providing your anesthesia, and you will meet your anesthesia provider before the procedure for a pre-anesthesia assessment.
Before your procedure, the CRNA will review your medical history, medications, allergies, and previous anesthesia experiences. They will explain the anesthesia plan, answer questions, and start an IV. During the procedure, the CRNA monitors your vital signs continuously, adjusts anesthesia levels, manages your airway, and administers medications as needed. After the procedure, the CRNA manages your recovery from anesthesia, treating nausea and pain as needed. For labor epidurals, the CRNA places the epidural catheter and monitors its effectiveness throughout labor.
Anesthesia copay: determined by procedure complexity · Typical surgery anesthesia: $500-2,000 (billed to insurance) · Epidural for labor: $1,000-3,000 (covered as maternity) · Out-of-pocket with insurance: $0-200 copay/coinsurance
Yes. Multiple large studies comparing CRNA and anesthesiologist outcomes have found no significant difference in patient safety. CRNAs complete extensive training (seven to eight years) and deliver anesthesia millions of times per year across the country. The VA health system and U.S. military rely primarily on CRNAs. The important factor is the competence of the individual provider, not the credential.
Anesthesia is billed based on the complexity and duration of the procedure, not the provider type. Your copay or coinsurance for anesthesia services is the same whether delivered by a CRNA or an anesthesiologist. The key financial risk is out-of-network billing: verify that your anesthesia provider (whoever it is) is in your insurance network before elective procedures.
You can express a preference, but accommodating it depends on the facility's staffing. Many surgical centers are staffed entirely by CRNAs, while academic medical centers may have both CRNAs and anesthesiologist residents. You can ask the surgeon's office or facility in advance who will provide your anesthesia. For emergencies, the available provider manages your care.
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Anesthesia services from CRNAs are covered by all insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare reimburses CRNA services at the same rate as anesthesiologist services. The most common billing issue is out-of-network anesthesia providers at in-network facilities (surprise billing). The No Surprises Act (effective 2022) protects you from out-of-network anesthesia bills at in-network facilities for most plan types. You should still verify coverage before elective procedures. Anesthesia for labor and delivery is covered as a maternity benefit.
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