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CPT 00212: Anesthesia for Intracranial Procedure, Subdural Tap
CPT code 00212 represents anesthesia services for intracranial procedures involving subdural taps, a targeted surgical intervention to remove excess fluid from the subdural space and relieve intracranial pressure. This code captures anesthesia time and complexity associated with a delicate neurosurgical procedure and is used in hospital-based operative settings. Nationally, accurate use of this code is important for clinical documentation, appropriate billing, and ensuring capture of specialty anesthesia services for intracranial interventions.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find context on the clinical scenario that generates use of 00212, common payer coverage considerations, and how this code relates to adjacent intracranial anesthesia codes. The publication provides benchmarks for utilization, notes on coding relationships with related intracranial anesthesia CPT codes, and summaries of payer patterns and policy considerations that affect claims adjudication. The content also outlines typical sites of service and the service type associated with 00212 to aid coding staff and billing professionals in accurate claim construction.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 00212 describes anesthesia services provided for intracranial procedures involving subdural taps. In this procedure, a surgical provider removes a small amount of fluid from the subdural space—the fluid-filled compartment between the outer and middle membrane layers covering the brain—to reduce excess intracranial pressure on brain tissue.
Service Type: Anesthesia for intracranial procedure (subdural tap)
Typical Site of Service: Hospital operating room or procedural suite where intracranial surgical procedures are performed
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National commercial rates for CPT 00212 cluster around the BUCA average commercial rate of $73.8, with notable variation by carrier. Cigna and Blue Cross Blue Shield exhibit higher central tendencies (Cigna mean $96.5, BCBS mean $73.1) while Aetna ($59.4) and UnitedHealth Group ($67.4) sit lower. Maxima differ markedly—Blue Cross Blue Shield tops at $207.5 and Cigna at $159.2—indicating pockets of premium pricing above the BUCA average.
Rate dispersion measured as P75 minus P25 highlights where pricing is tight or wide. Blue Cross Blue Shield has a dispersion of $39.4 ($94.9 - $52.5), UnitedHealth Group is tighter at $28.9 ($80.9 - $52.0), and Aetna shows $31.5 ($75.6 - $42.0). Cigna displays the widest interquartile spread at $58.6 ($125.0 - $68.4), signaling the greatest variability around its center.