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CPT 00142: Anesthesia for Eye Lens Procedure
CPT code 00142 represents anesthesia services provided for patients undergoing eye lens procedures, most commonly cataract surgery with intraocular lens insertion. Anesthesia coding for ophthalmic lens procedures is nationally relevant because cataract surgery is one of the most frequent surgical procedures in older adults, and correct anesthesia reporting affects clinical documentation, care coordination, and payment processing. Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare.
Readers will find a concise overview of what CPT code 00142 covers clinically, how it relates to common ophthalmic procedures, and which payers are included in coverage comparisons. The publication summarizes typical sites of service (ambulatory surgical centers and hospital operating rooms), common clinical scenarios that prompt use of the code, and related ophthalmology procedure codes commonly billed alongside anesthesia for lens surgeries. It also outlines benchmark and policy topics relevant to national payers and Medicare, and highlights documentation and coding contexts that affect claims adjudication. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 00142 describes anesthesia services provided for a patient undergoing an eye lens procedure. The service covers administration and management of anesthesia during procedures involving the eye's lens, such as cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation.
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Service type: Anesthesia for ophthalmic lens procedures
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Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgical center or hospital operating room
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Commercial rates for CPT 00142 center on BUCA’s average commercial rate of $80.6, with individual payer medians and means clustered around that level. Blue Cross Blue Shield’s interquartile spread (P75–P25) is $39.1, Aetna’s is $60.4, Cigna’s is $41.3, and UnitedHealth Group’s is $29.0; BUCA’s IQR is $39.9. UnitedHealth Group shows the tightest dispersion at $29.0, indicating more consistency in negotiated commercial rates, while Aetna displays the widest dispersion at $60.4, reflecting broader variability in allowed amounts.
Mean rates range from UnitedHealth Group’s $67.9 up to Aetna’s $101.8, with BUCA positioned near the market at $80.6. Median values are generally close to means for several payers, suggesting modest skew, but the differing IQRs highlight that payers vary in how concentrated or spread out their commercial reimbursements are around those central tendencies.