Find policies, billing codes, payers, states, and providers
CPT 00176: Anesthesia for Intraoral Surgical Procedures, Including Biopsy
CPT code 00176 represents anesthesia services provided for intraoral surgical procedures, such as biopsies and radical oral surgery. This code identifies the anesthetic management component distinct from the surgical procedure itself and is used in billing to capture professional anesthesia services for oral cavity operations. Nationally, accurate use of this code supports consistent payment for anesthesiology services associated with oral surgical care and informs service-line reporting for perioperative and ambulatory surgical settings.
Key payers considered in this overview include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, United Healthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical context for 00176, typical sites of service, and the range of common clinical scenarios where the code applies. The publication also outlines related procedure relationships and expected coding considerations that affect claims processing and grouping.
This summary is intended to clarify what 00176 covers and why it is relevant for billing and administrative staff, anesthesia providers, and surgical teams involved in intraoral procedures. It provides a national perspective on clinical scope, payer coverage scope, and the practical contexts in which the code is used. Data not available in the input.
Customize your policy alerts
Sign up for cpt 00176 policy alerts
Get alerted when payer policies referencing 00176 are released or updated.
Monitor payer policy activity
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 00176 describes anesthesia services provided for intraoral surgical procedures, including biopsy and radical surgery. The service reflects administration of anesthesia tailored to surgical interventions performed within the oral cavity.
Service type: Anesthesia for intraoral surgery
Typical site of service: Operating room or ambulatory surgical center for intraoral surgical procedures
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Commercial reimbursement for CPT 00176 centers on BUCA as the average commercial benchmark at $77.60. Blue Cross Blue Shield average reimbursement sits lower than BUCA with a mean of $71.30, while Aetna and Cigna show higher mean levels at $90.10 and $94.20 respectively. UnitedHealth Group averages $67.30, so payers span a moderate range above and below the BUCA average.
Dispersion measured by the interquartile spread (P75 minus P25) highlights variation across payers: Aetna’s IQR is $68.90, Cigna’s is $54.40, BUCA’s is $44.80, Blue Cross Blue Shield’s is $37.70, and UnitedHealth Group’s is $27.60. Aetna exhibits the widest middle-half dispersion and UnitedHealth Group the tightest, indicating more concentrated reimbursed amounts for UnitedHealth Group and more variability for Aetna.