CPT 01936 Reimbursement Benchmarks | OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 01936: Anesthesia for Image-Guided Spine Procedures

CPT code 01936 was a billing code used to report anesthesia services for image-guided procedures on the spine or spinal cord, primarily in outpatient hospital settings. This code played a significant role in capturing the complexity and clinical value of anesthesia support during minimally invasive spinal interventions. Nationally, the code was recognized by major commercial payers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, and UnitedHealthcare, ensuring broad coverage for these specialized services.

The publication provides a comprehensive overview of the clinical context for CPT code 01936, including its application, typical site of service, and its relevance to anesthesia providers. Readers will learn about the code's deletion effective January 1, 2022, and how this impacts billing practices and policy updates. The summary also highlights related codes for similar procedures, common modifiers used in anesthesia billing, and associated provider taxonomies. Benchmarks and policy changes are discussed to inform stakeholders about evolving reimbursement and reporting standards for image-guided spinal procedures. This resource is designed to support healthcare professionals, administrators, and policy analysts in understanding the historical and current landscape of anesthesia coding for spinal interventions.

Blue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareCPT 01936anesthesia servicesspine proceduresimage-guided interventionsoutpatient hospitalbilling code deletionclinical codingpolicy updateprocedure codinghealthcare reimbursement

CPT Code Overview

CPT code 01936 represented anesthesia services for image-guided procedures performed on the spine or spinal cord. These procedures typically took place in an outpatient hospital setting, designated as Place of Service 22. The code was used to capture the professional work of anesthesia providers during minimally invasive, image-guided interventions targeting spinal structures. As of January 1, 2022, CPT code 01936 has been deleted and is no longer in use for billing or reporting these services.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient scenario involves an adult presenting to an outpatient hospital setting with symptoms related to peripheral vascular disease, such as leg pain, intermittent claudication, or signs of arterial insufficiency. The patient is scheduled for an image-guided procedure on the spine or spinal cord, which may be indicated for pain management or diagnostic evaluation. Anesthesia services are provided to ensure patient comfort and safety during the procedure, with monitoring for potential complications related to vascular disease and anesthesia. The clinical workflow includes pre-procedure assessment, administration of anesthesia, intra-procedure monitoring, and post-procedure recovery.

Coding Specifications

Modifiers:

Modifier Description
QS Monitored anesthesia care service
QX CRNA service with medical direction by a physician
- Use QS when anesthesia is provided as monitored anesthesia care.

Modifier	Description
`QS`	Monitored anesthesia care service
`QX`	CRNA service with medical direction by a physician

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

National mean rates for CPT code 01936 show significant variation between commercial payers. Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna report higher mean rates, with Cigna at $746.94 and Blue Cross Blue Shield at $314.33. UnitedHealth Group is notably lower at $79.79, while the BUCA average is $190.02. Medicare rates are not available in the input for comparison.

Rate dispersion, measured by the difference between the 75th and 25th percentiles, is widest for BUCA ($208.00) and Cigna ($230.00), indicating greater variability in reimbursement. Blue Cross Blue Shield has a tighter range ($89.00), and UnitedHealth Group is the tightest ($49.00), suggesting more consistent rates across providers for these payers.

The table and chart below present the full breakdown of national benchmarks for CPT code 01936 by payer.

State Benchmarks

State: Alaska1 / 50

Alaska Benchmarks

Alaska shows a substantial rate spread for CPT code 01936, especially among Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealth Group. Blue Cross Blue Shield's 75th percentile rate is $475.00, while its 25th percentile is $371.50, resulting in a spread of $103.50. UnitedHealth Group has a much narrower spread, with a 75th percentile of $65.00 and a 25th percentile of $58.00, a difference of only $7.00. Cigna's rates are uniform, with all percentiles at $474.50, indicating no spread.

Compared to national averages, both Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna in Alaska pay significantly more for CPT code 01936, while UnitedHealth Group pays less than its national mean. The table and chart below present the full payer breakdown for Alaska, highlighting these differences.

Key Insights for Alaska

Cigna is the highest paying payer for CPT 01936 in Alaska, with a mean rate of $474.50.
UnitedHealth Group is the lowest paying payer, with a mean rate of $69.87, significantly below both state and national averages.
Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna rates in Alaska are notably higher than their respective national averages, indicating a premium for this code in the state.

CPT 01935: Anesthesia for Percutaneous Image-Guided Spine Diagnostic Procedures

CPT-01925-ANESTHESIA-THERAPEUTIC-INTERVENTIONAL-RADIOLOGY-CAROTID-CORONARY

CPT 01925: Anesthesia for Therapeutic Interventional Radiology of Carotid/Coronary Arteries

CPT-01958-ANESTHESIA-EXTERNAL-CEPHALIC-VERSION

CPT 01958: Anesthesia for External Cephalic Version

CPT-01953-ANESTHESIA-BURN-EXCISION-DEBRIDEMENT-ADDITIONAL-9PCT-TBSA

CPT 01953: Anesthesia for Burn Excision/Debridement per Additional 9% TBSA

01962-ANES-URGENT-HYSTERECTOMY-FOLLOWING

CPT 01962: Anesthesia for Urgent Post-Delivery Hysterectomy

CPT-01962-URGENT-POSTPARTUM-HYSTERECTOMY-ANESTHESIA

CPT 01962: Anesthesia for Urgent Postpartum Hysterectomy

CPT-01963-CESAREAN-HYSTERECTOMY-ANESTHESIA

CPT 01963: Anesthesia for Cesarean Hysterectomy

CPT-01935-ANESTHESIA-PERCUTANEOUS-IMAGE-GUIDED-SPINE-DIAGNOSTIC

CPT 01935: Anesthesia for Percutaneous Image-Guided Spine Diagnostic Procedures

01990-ANESTHESIOLOGY-PROVIDER-GIVES-PHYSIOLOGICAL-SUPPORT-TO-A

CPT 01990: Anesthesia for Physiological Support During Organ Procurement

CPT-01922-ANESTHESIA-NONINVASIVE-IMAGING-RADIATION-THERAPY

CPT 01922: Anesthesia for Non‑Invasive Imaging or Radiation Therapy

Showing 1–10 of 55

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.

Provider Taxonomies:

Taxonomy Code	Specialty
`207L00000X`	Anesthesiology
`207RA0000X`	Critical Care Medicine Physician
`367H00000X`	Anesthesiologist Assistant

207L00000X represents board-certified anesthesiologists.
207RA0000X represents physicians specializing in critical care medicine.
367H00000X represents anesthesiologist assistants.

OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 01936: Anesthesia for Image-Guided Spine Procedures

CPT Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

State Benchmarks

Alaska Benchmarks

Key Insights for Alaska

Related Codes

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

State Benchmarks

Alaska Benchmarks

Key Insights for Alaska

Related Codes