CPT 00802: Anesthesia for Panniculectomy, Lower Anterior Abdominal Wall
Headline: CPT code 00802 defines anesthesia for panniculectomy on the lower anterior abdominal wall. Lead: CPT code 00802 identifies anesthesia services when a surgical provider excises excess fat and skin (a pannus) through a sub‑umbilical incision. This code is relevant to anesthesia professionals, surgical teams, and payers because panniculectomy procedures carry specific perioperative risk and resource considerations.
CPT code 00802 represents anesthesia administered during a panniculectomy targeting the lower anterior abdominal wall. It matters nationally as panniculectomy is performed for functional and reconstructive indications, often in settings where anesthesia selection and documentation affect clinical resource planning and claims adjudication. The code is used across hospital operating rooms and ambulatory surgical centers.
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 clinical context, common related anesthesia considerations, and links to related procedural codes. The publication summarizes typical sites of service, common clinical diagnoses associated with lower abdominal surgery, and adjoining anesthesia codes that may appear on the same claim. It also outlines common modifiers and ancillary coding references for clinical and billing teams.
This summary serves clinicians, coding professionals, and payers seeking a clear description of CPT code 00802, its clinical application, and its position among related anesthesia services.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 00802 describes anesthesia services provided for a patient undergoing a panniculectomy on the lower anterior abdominal wall. In this surgical procedure the surgeon excises excess fat and skin (a pannus) via an incision below the navel.
Service Type: Anesthesia for lower anterior abdominal wall surgical procedure (panniculectomy)
Typical Site of Service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National commercial reimbursement for CPT 00802 centers around BUCA’s average commercial rate of $81.70, with individual payers spanning both higher and lower medians. Blue Cross Blue Shield’s median is $63.40 while Aetna and Cigna show higher medians at $89.70 and $86.00 respectively; UnitedHealth Group’s median is $64.00. Aetna has the highest mean ($115.00) and the largest absolute upper bound ($422.90), while UnitedHealth Group and Blue Cross Blue Shield sit lower on both mean and max values.
Dispersion measured by the interquartile difference (P75 minus P25) highlights variation: Aetna’s IQR is $99.00, Cigna’s is $58.00, BUCA’s is $51.80, Blue Cross Blue Shield’s is $36.20, and UnitedHealth Group’s is $28.90. This indicates Aetna exhibits the widest payer-level spread and UnitedHealth Group the tightest, with BUCA positioned near the middle of the spread distribution.