CPT 00834: Anesthesia for Infant Lower Abdominal Hernia Repair
Commercial payers pay $75 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 00834 describes anesthesia services provided for repair of a lower abdominal hernia in an infant younger than one year of age; the service is anesthesia for hernia repair procedures not otherwise specified for this anatomic region, typically delivered in an operating room or surgical suite and documented as intraoperative anesthesia care for pediatric patients.
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
National commercial reimbursement for CPT 00834 centers around BUCA’s average commercial rate of $75.40, with individual payers showing meaningful variation. Cigna and Aetna sit above BUCA on mean rates at $96.50 and $78.00 respectively, while Blue Cross Blue Shield averages $70.10 and UnitedHealth Group averages $67.40. Cigna’s higher mean is accompanied by a relatively broad upper tail (P90 $159.20), reflecting higher-priced outliers versus other payers.
Measuring dispersion as P75 minus P25 highlights differences in rate spread: Blue Cross Blue Shield has a spread of $36.90 (from $51.30 to $92.00), UnitedHealth Group is the tightest with a spread of $28.90 (from $52.00 to $80.90), and Aetna’s spread is $52.90 (from $42.00 to $96.09), making it the widest among payers listed. Cigna’s spread is $58.60 (from $68.40 to $125.00), also indicating substantial variability around its higher mean.