Summary & Overview
CPT 01933: Anesthesia for Intracranial Interventional Radiological Procedures
CPT code 01933 represents anesthesia for therapeutic interventional radiological procedures involving the venous or lymphatic system, specifically for intracranial cases. This code is significant nationally as it addresses the need for specialized anesthesia during complex radiological interventions in the brain, ensuring patient safety and optimal outcomes. The code is commonly utilized in hospital and ambulatory surgical center settings, reflecting its role in advanced interventional care.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, and UnitedHealthcare. Understanding payer coverage and policy updates for CPT 01933 is essential for providers and billing professionals navigating reimbursement and compliance in anesthesiology and radiology service lines.
Readers will gain insights into clinical benchmarks, policy changes, and the broader context of anesthesia for interventional radiological procedures. The publication also highlights relevant modifiers, associated taxonomies, and common ICD-10 diagnoses linked to these services. By examining payer coverage and clinical context, stakeholders can better understand the evolving landscape of anesthesia billing for intracranial radiological interventions.
CPT Code Overview
CPT 01933 is used to report anesthesia services for therapeutic interventional radiological procedures involving the venous or lymphatic system, specifically for intracranial interventions. These procedures require specialized anesthesia care due to their complexity and the sensitive nature of the intracranial region. The service type is Anesthesiology – Anesthesia for interventional radiological procedures, and it is typically performed in a hospital or ambulatory surgical center setting. Providers delivering these services ensure patient safety and comfort during advanced radiological interventions targeting the venous or lymphatic systems within the brain.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A patient presents to the hospital or ambulatory surgical center with symptoms such as low back pain, cervicalgia, or spinal stenosis. The clinical team determines that a therapeutic interventional radiological procedure involving the venous or lymphatic system within the intracranial region is indicated. An anesthesiologist or pain medicine physician provides anesthesia services during the procedure to ensure patient comfort and safety. The workflow involves pre-procedure assessment, administration of anesthesia, monitoring throughout the radiological intervention, and post-procedure recovery. The procedure is typically performed in collaboration with a radiology physician.
Coding Specifications
-
Modifier
QS: Indicates that monitored anesthesia care service was provided. Used when the anesthesiologist is present and monitoring the patient during the procedure. -
Modifier
P1: Denotes a normal healthy patient. Used to indicate the physical status of the patient receiving anesthesia.
| Modifier Code | Description |
|---|---|
QS | Monitored anesthesia care service |
P1 | A normal healthy patient |
- Provider Taxonomies:
| Taxonomy Code | Specialty |
|---|---|
207L00000X | Anesthesiology |
207LP2900X | Pain Medicine Physician |
207RA0000X | Radiology Physician |
Related Diagnoses
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M54.5– Low back pain- Relevant for patients undergoing interventional radiological procedures to address pain originating from the lumbar region.
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M54.2– Cervicalgia- Indicates neck pain, which may necessitate intracranial venous or lymphatic interventions under anesthesia.
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M51.26– Other intervertebral disc displacement, lumbar region- Associated with lumbar disc issues that could require radiological intervention and anesthesia.
-
M47.812– Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, cervical region- Represents cervical spine degeneration, potentially leading to procedures requiring anesthesia.
-
M48.06– Spinal stenosis, lumbar region- Lumbar spinal narrowing may be treated with interventional radiological procedures necessitating anesthesia.
Related CPT Codes
01930: Anesthesia for therapeutic interventional radiological procedures involving the venous/lymphatic system (not to include access to the central circulation).01931: Anesthesia for therapeutic interventional radiological procedures involving the venous/lymphatic system (not to include access to the central circulation).01932: Anesthesia for therapeutic interventional radiological procedures involving the venous/lymphatic system (not to include access to the central circulation).
These codes are related to 01933 and represent anesthesia services for similar interventional radiological procedures, but may differ in anatomical location or complexity. They are commonly used as alternatives or in conjunction with 01933 depending on the specific procedure performed.
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National mean rates for CPT code 01933 show that Cigna and Blue Cross Blue Shield offer the highest average reimbursement, with Cigna at $450.26 and BCBS at $386.99. UnitedHealth Group is notably lower at $65.58, while BUCA (average commercial) stands at $184.75. Medicare rates are not available in the input for comparison.
Rate dispersion varies significantly across payers. UnitedHealth Group has the tightest range between the 25th and 75th percentiles ($24.67), indicating less variability in payment rates. In contrast, Cigna displays the widest spread ($603.57), suggesting substantial variation in reimbursement amounts. Aetna also shows a wide range ($433.00), while BCBS and BUCA have moderate dispersion.
The table and chart below present a detailed breakdown of national benchmarks for each payer, including mean rates and percentile values.
State Benchmarks
State: AK1 / 50
Alaska Benchmarks
Alaska shows a wide spread in reimbursement rates for CPT code 01933, with Blue Cross Blue Shield offering the highest mean rate at $509.93 and UnitedHealth Group the lowest at $74.78. The rate spread, calculated as the difference between the 75th and 25th percentiles, is most pronounced for Blue Cross Blue Shield ($163.15) and BUCA ($259.09), indicating substantial variability in payments across payers. In contrast, Aetna, Cigna, and UnitedHealth Group have minimal spreads, suggesting more uniform rates among these payers.
Compared to national averages, Alaska's mean rates for Blue Cross Blue Shield and BUCA are notably higher, while Cigna and UnitedHealth Group are lower or similar. The table and chart below present the full breakdown of payer-specific reimbursement benchmarks for Alaska, highlighting the significant differences in payment levels across the major commercial payers.
Key Insights for Alaska
- Blue Cross Blue Shield is the highest paying payer for CPT 01933 in Alaska, with a mean rate of $509.93.
- UnitedHealth Group offers the lowest mean rate at $74.78.
- Alaska's mean rates for most payers are significantly higher than national averages, especially for Blue Cross Blue Shield and BUCA.
Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.