Summary & Overview
CPT 01610: Anesthesia for Knee Joint Procedures, Unspecified
Headline: Anesthesia Code CPT 01610 Defined for Knee Joint Procedures
Lead: CPT 01610 denotes anesthesia services for knee joint procedures not otherwise specified, an important procedural anesthesia code used across outpatient hospital settings. It provides a billing descriptor for anesthesiologists and anesthesia teams when no more specific knee anesthesia code applies.
What the code represents and why it matters: CPT 01610 identifies anesthesia care associated with knee joint procedures that lack a dedicated anesthesia code. Nationally, clear use of this code supports appropriate billing classification for perioperative anesthesia services and helps align clinical documentation with payer requirements for outpatient surgical care.
Key payers covered: This overview addresses coverage and billing contexts relevant to Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, and UnitedHealthcare.
What readers will learn: The publication provides a concise reference on clinical context for CPT 01610, common procedural pairings, and the outpatient hospital setting in which it is most often applied. Readers will find information useful for coding accuracy and payer alignment, including related procedural contexts and typical clinical diagnoses associated with knee procedures. Where input was incomplete, the publication notes missing metadata and clarifies that some service-line specifics are not available.
CPT Code Overview
CPT 01610 describes anesthesia services provided for procedures on the knee joint when not otherwise specified. This code falls under the Anesthesiology service type and is typically used when anesthesia is administered for knee joint procedures that do not have a more specific anesthesia code. The usual site of service for CPT 01610 is an Outpatient Hospital (POS 22).
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 62-year-old patient with progressive right knee pain from M17.11 (unilateral primary osteoarthritis, right knee) presents for outpatient surgical management. The planned procedure is a knee joint operation requiring anesthesia in an outpatient hospital (POS 22), such as arthroscopy or arthroplasty. Preoperative evaluation by the anesthesia team documents medical history, airway assessment, and consent for anesthesia. On the day of surgery the anesthesia provider administers anesthesia appropriate for the knee procedure, monitors vital signs intraoperatively, and provides emergence and handoff in the PACU. The anesthesia service is billed using 01610 for anesthesia for procedures on the knee joint; not otherwise specified.
Coding Specifications
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Modifiers
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QS: Monitored anesthesia care service — Indicates monitored anesthesia care (MAC) was provided for the procedure when appropriate. -
QX: CRNA service with medical direction by a physician — Indicates the service was performed by a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist under the medical direction of a physician. -
Provider Taxonomies