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CPT 00522: Anesthesia for Closed Chest Needle Pleural Biopsy
CPT code 00522 represents anesthesia services for a closed chest needle biopsy of the pleura, a procedure used to sample pleural tissue or fluid adjacent to the lungs. This code is relevant nationally because it defines anesthesia billing for a focused intrathoracic diagnostic procedure that often accompanies acute respiratory or thoracic disease management. Accurate use of CPT code 00522 affects hospital and anesthesia group reimbursement, resource allocation, and coding compliance for intrathoracic diagnostic procedures.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, United Healthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the clinical context for the code, typical sites of service, and common payer considerations. The content highlights related service codes and the typical scenarios in which CPT code 00522 is reported, offering clarity on documentation and billing context.
The publication summarizes benchmarks and policy-relevant guidance for national audiences, providing practical reference on code definition, common clinical indications, and service setting. It also outlines associated coding relationships and contrasts CPT code 00522 with closely related intrathoracic anesthesia codes to aid coding accuracy and administrative clarity.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 00522 describes anesthesia services provided for a closed chest procedure involving a needle biopsy of the pleura. The service reflects administration and management of anesthesia during a needle pleural biopsy performed through the chest wall without open thoracotomy.
Service Type: Anesthesia for closed chest pleural needle biopsy
Typical Site of Service: Hospital operating room or procedure suite, inpatient or outpatient surgical setting
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
For CPT 00522, the BUCA national commercial average sits at $74.30, offering a middle-ground benchmark compared with individual commercial payers. Cigna’s mean of $91.20 and Blue Cross Blue Shield’s mean of $75.30 both sit above BUCA’s average, while Aetna ($60.60) and UnitedHealth Group ($67.90) fall below it. Maximums and minimums vary by payer, with Cigna and Blue Cross Blue Shield showing higher ceiling values versus UnitedHealth Group and Aetna.
Dispersion measured by the interquartile range (P75–P25) is tightest for UnitedHealth Group at $29.10 and widest for Blue Cross Blue Shield at $40.60; Cigna has a range of $40.60, BUCA’s IQR is $36.90, and Aetna’s is $44.70. These differences indicate greater variability in commercial contractual rates for some insurers versus others around the BUCA commercial average.