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CPT 00625: Anesthesia for Thoracic Spine Procedure, Anterior Transthoracic
Headline: CPT code 00625: Anesthesia for Anterior Transthoracic Thoracic Spine Procedures
Lead: CPT code 00625 identifies anesthesia services for surgeries on the thoracic spine and spinal cord performed through an anterior transthoracic approach without use of one‑lung ventilation. The code specifies a particular surgical access and anesthetic context that affects perioperative planning and billing.
CPT code 00625 represents anesthesia care for complex thoracic spine and spinal cord procedures using an anterior transthoracic approach, where one‑lung ventilation is not employed. Nationally, precise CPT assignment for specialized spine approaches matters for appropriate payment, clinical communication, and resource planning for high-acuity surgical cases.
Key payers covered include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical scope and typical site of service, an overview of payer coverage considerations, and pointers to closely related CPT anatomy (notably the version of the code that includes one‑lung ventilation). The publication outlines common billing elements and contextual clinical notes relevant to anesthesiology, pain management, and critical care clinicians who support thoracic spine surgery.
What readers will learn: the clinical scenario captured by 00625, where it is typically billed, the main national payers referenced in the analysis, and links to related coding for thoracic spine anesthesia to assist billing accuracy and program alignment.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 00625 describes anesthesia services provided for a patient undergoing a procedure on the thoracic spine and spinal cord performed via an anterior transthoracic approach, without the use of one‑lung ventilation.
Service type: Anesthesia for thoracic spine and spinal cord surgery (anterior transthoracic approach)
Typical site of service: Operating room / inpatient surgical suite involving thoracic surgical access
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National commercial pricing centers on BUCA as the average commercial benchmark at $68.60, with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, and UnitedHealth Group showing different central tendencies and spreads. Cigna posts the highest median at $85.70 and Aetna the lowest median at $48.00; UnitedHealth Group and Blue Cross Blue Shield sit in between. Maximums vary notably, with Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna showing higher caps ($185.80 and $151.40 respectively) while UnitedHealth Group and Aetna have lower maximums ($122.70 and $132.50).
Examining dispersion using the interquartile range (P75 minus P25) highlights variation in rate consistency: Aetna’s IQR is $28.00, Blue Cross Blue Shield’s IQR is $40.60, BUCA’s IQR is $37.50, Cigna’s IQR is $52.20, and UnitedHealth Group’s IQR is $25.80. Cigna displays the widest IQR at $52.20, indicating the most spread among middle 50% commercial rates, while UnitedHealth Group is the tightest at $25.80, suggesting relatively more consistent commercial pricing.