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CPT 00352: Anesthesia for Major Vessels of Neck Procedures
CPT code 00352 denotes anesthesia services for procedures on the major vessels of the neck, including simple ligation. This code identifies perioperative anesthesia care specific to vascular surgery of the neck and is important for appropriate clinical reporting, resource allocation, and national claims processing for complex head-and-neck vascular procedures. Accurate coding supports quality measurement, case-mix assessment, and appropriate payment pathways for anesthesiology services tied to these high-acuity procedures.
Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, United Healthcare, and Medicare. The publication provides a national perspective on coding context and payer coverage patterns rather than state-level policy. Readers will find a concise clinical description of the service, common ICD-10 diagnoses that align with major aortic and vascular pathology relevant to perioperative care, and the relationship of 00352 to related anesthesia codes for thoracic and cardiac vascular procedures. The report also outlines typical sites of service and service line placement for billing workflows.
This summary prepares clinical, coding, and revenue cycle stakeholders to identify when 00352 applies, understand its clinical setting, and see how it maps alongside related anesthesia codes used for complex cardiovascular and major-vessel operations.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 00352 describes anesthesia services provided for procedures on the major vessels of the neck, including simple ligation. The service type is anesthesia for vascular surgery of the neck, and the typical site of service is an operating room or surgical suite where major vascular procedures on neck vessels are performed.
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National commercial reimbursement for CPT 00352 centers near BUCA’s average commercial rate of $73.70, with notable variation by payer. Blue Cross Blue Shield posts a higher central tendency (median $63.80) than the BUCA average, while Cigna’s mean ($96.50) and median ($86.00) sit well above BUCA. Aetna and UnitedHealth Group have means ($68.10 and $67.40) close to BUCA, though Aetna’s median ($50.00) and UnitedHealth Group’s median ($64.00) indicate slight differences in distribution shape.
Assessing dispersion using the interquartile range (P75 minus P25) highlights which payers are tightest or widest: Blue Cross Blue Shield has a range of $40.60, UnitedHealth Group is tighter at $27.90, Aetna’s IQR is $50.90, and Cigna shows the widest spread at $58.60. BUCA’s interquartile spread is $39.50, placing it near the middle of the payer dispersion spectrum.