CPT 00210: Anesthesia for Unspecified Intracranial Procedure
CPT code 00210 designates anesthesia services provided for intracranial procedures that are not otherwise specified by other anesthesia codes. This code captures perioperative management and anesthesia delivery for a range of intracranial surgeries when no more specific anesthesia code fits the procedure. Nationally, accurate use of this code matters for clinical documentation, appropriate billing for complex neurosurgical cases, and coordination between anesthesiology and surgical teams.
Key payers included in this coverage overview are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, United Healthcare, and Medicare. The report outlines payer policies and typical coverage considerations for anesthesia billed under 00210, without state-level variation. Readers will find a concise clinical context for when 00210 is applicable, a summary of common modifiers and coding nuances, and links to related monitoring services commonly billed alongside anesthesia for intracranial cases.
This summary is intended to help coding professionals, anesthesia providers, and revenue cycle staff understand the purpose of CPT code 00210, the clinical settings where it is used, and the payer landscape relevant to national billing practices. Data not available in the input is noted where specific benchmark metrics or state-specific policy differences would otherwise be discussed.
Customize your policy alerts
Sign up for cpt 00210 policy alerts
Get alerted when payer policies referencing 00210 are released or updated.
Monitor payer policy activity
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 00210 describes anesthesia services for intracranial procedures not otherwise specified. The code applies when a provider administers and manages anesthesia care for patients undergoing intracranial surgery that is not captured by a more specific anesthesia code.
Service type: Anesthesia for intracranial surgical procedures
Typical site of service: Hospital inpatient or ambulatory surgical center during intracranial operative procedures
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National commercial reimbursement for CPT 00210 centers on a BUCA average of $91.00 as a benchmark for commercial markets, with individual payer medians and means varying around that level. Blue Cross Blue Shield median and mean values sit below BUCA, while Aetna and Cigna present higher central tendencies; UnitedHealth Group is closer to BUCA. BUCA’s interquartile range (P75–P25 = $121.70 - $58.50) equals $63.20, reflecting moderate dispersion for the aggregate commercial benchmark.
Comparing payer dispersion using P75 minus P25 highlights where rates are tightest and widest: Blue Cross Blue Shield’s IQR is $81.59 - $46.20 = $35.39 (tightest), UnitedHealth Group’s IQR is $80.80 - $52.00 = $28.80 (also tight and actually the tightest), Cigna’s IQR is $119.90 - $67.70 = $52.20 (moderate), and Aetna’s IQR is $284.70 - $93.00 = $191.70 (widest). This indicates Aetna has the largest spread in commercial rates while UnitedHealth Group and Blue Cross Blue Shield are the most compressed.