CPT 00520: Anesthesia for Closed Chest Procedures, Bronchoscopy
Commercial payers pay $82 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 00520 describes anesthesia services provided for closed chest procedures such as bronchoscopy, where the airway is visualized for diagnosis or intervention; this typically represents intraoperative general or monitored anesthesia care delivered in an operating room or procedure suite for intrathoracic diagnostic or therapeutic interventions.
For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use Disorders, Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use Disorders, Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use Disorders.
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National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Commercial reimbursement for CPT 00520 centers around a BUCA average of $82.00, with individual commercial payers distributing around that level but with notable differences in spread. Aetna’s mean of $126.20 and Blue Cross Blue Shield’s mean of $70.20 bracket BUCA’s average on opposite sides, while Cigna ($87.70) and UnitedHealth Group ($67.50) sit near the BUCA figure. Absolute highs and lows vary by payer, with Aetna reaching a max of $321.70 and entities like Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealth Group showing much lower upper bounds.
Dispersion measured by the interquartile range (P75–P25) highlights variability: Aetna’s IQR is $85.00, Cigna’s IQR is $37.80, Blue Cross Blue Shield’s IQR is $36.60, UnitedHealth Group’s IQR is $29.00, and BUCA’s IQR is $44.60. This indicates Aetna has the widest mid‑range spread while UnitedHealth Group is the tightest; Cigna and Blue Cross Blue Shield are moderately dispersed and BUCA sits in the middle in terms of variability.