CPT 00160: Anesthesia for Nose and Accessory Sinus Procedures
CPT code 00160 represents anesthesia services for procedures on the nose and accessory sinuses when a more specific anesthesia code is not available. This code is used to report perioperative anesthesia care tied to intranasal and paranasal sinus surgeries, a clinically important category given the volume of otolaryngology procedures nationally. Accurate use of this code supports proper clinical documentation, billing integrity, and claims adjudication for airway- and sinus-related operations.
Key payers addressed in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, United Healthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise description of the clinical and billing context for the code, common related procedural pairings, typical sites of service, and the range of diagnosis codes that commonly justify use of the code. The publication also outlines common modifiers associated with anesthesia services and situates 00160 among related otolaryngology procedure codes to aid coding clarity.
The content is intended for a national audience of clinicians, coding professionals, and policy analysts who need a clear operational summary of CPT code 00160, its clinical scope, and the payer landscape that most frequently intersects with its use.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 00160 describes anesthesia services provided for procedures on the nose and accessory sinuses, the hollow chambers in the skull that open into the nasal cavity. These services cover perioperative anesthesia care specific to intranasal and paranasal sinus procedures when no more specific anesthesia code is available.
Service type: Anesthesia for nasal and accessory sinus procedures
Typical site of service: Operating room or ambulatory surgical center
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Commercial reimbursement for CPT 00160 centers around an average commercial (BUCA) rate of $96.10, with major national payers spanning meaningfully different medians and averages. Blue Cross Blue Shield shows a relatively low median ($64.30) and mean ($73.00), while Aetna skews much higher with a median of $164.00 and mean of $193.80. Cigna’s median ($86.00) and mean ($96.50) sit near BUCA’s average, and UnitedHealth Group’s median ($64.00) and mean ($67.40) are clustered on the lower end. These contrasts indicate payers price this code across a broad commercial spectrum rather than clustering tightly around a single level.
Dispersion measured as the interquartile range (P75–P25) highlights who is tightest and widest: Blue Cross Blue Shield has an IQR of $38.50 (P75 $93.90 minus P25 $52.40), UnitedHealth Group is the tightest at $28.90 (P75 $80.90 minus P25 $52.00), and Aetna is the widest at $149.00 (P75 $252.80 minus P25 $103.80). Cigna’s IQR is $58.60 (P75 $125.00 minus P25 $68.40) and BUCA’s IQR is $60.40 (P75 $123.40 minus P25 $63.60). These dispersion differences underscore how negotiation and network strategies vary materially by payer.