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CPT 00140: Anesthesia for Eye Procedure, Ophthalmic Surgery
CPT code 00140 represents anesthesia services furnished for patients undergoing eye procedures. This code denotes perioperative anesthetic management specific to ophthalmic surgery and is used by anesthesia providers when billing for care tied to intraoperative anesthesia for the eye. Nationally, accurate use of this code affects anesthesia service reporting, payment allocation for operating-room based ophthalmic procedures, and clinical documentation for perioperative risk management.
Key payers considered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise account of how CPT code 00140 is defined, common clinical contexts in which it applies (for example cataract, glaucoma, corneal, and retinal procedures), and related CPT anesthesia codes for other ophthalmic procedures. The publication also summarizes payer coverage patterns, typical sites of service, and coding considerations that influence billing and claims processing.
This summary offers benchmarks and policy-relevant context to help administrators and coding professionals understand where CPT code 00140 fits within ophthalmic anesthesia services, how it aligns with related anesthesia codes for eye surgery, and what clinical scenarios commonly invoke its use.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 00140 describes anesthesia services provided for a patient undergoing an eye procedure. The service type is anesthesia for ophthalmic surgery, and the typical site of service is an operating room or ambulatory surgical center where eye procedures are performed.
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National commercial reimbursement for CPT 00140 centers near the BUCA average commercial rate of $83.10, with variability across major payers. Blue Cross Blue Shield shows a relatively tight middle spread (P75 $90.70 minus P25 $51.50 = $39.20), and UnitedHealth Group likewise is compact (P75 $80.90 minus P25 $52.00 = $28.90). Cigna and Aetna exhibit wider dispersion: Cigna’s interquartile range is $125.00 - $68.40 = $56.60, while Aetna’s is $158.20 - $77.10 = $81.10, indicating broader negotiated outcomes for those commercial populations. BUCA’s average sits between the tighter and wider payers, serving as a useful midpoint for commercial comparisons.
Examining upper-end benchmarks highlights further variation: Aetna reaches the highest observed commercial maximum at $339.50, while UnitedHealth Group’s maximum is $122.70. Cigna’s P90 at $159.20 and BUCA’s P90 at $136.20 also indicate higher-end reimbursement potential. Overall, payers differ meaningfully in dispersion and ceiling rates, with Aetna showing the widest IQR and UnitedHealth Group the narrowest among the listed payers.