CPT 00834: Anesthesia for Infant Lower Abdominal Hernia Repair
CPT code 00834 designates anesthesia services for surgical repair of lower abdominal hernias in infants younger than one year of age when no more specific anesthesia code applies. This pediatric anesthesia code is important for accurate billing and clinical classification of perioperative care for neonatal and infant hernia repairs, which are common pediatric surgical procedures. Nationally, clear use of this code supports appropriate payment, case-mix reporting, and quality measurement for pediatric anesthesia services. Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the clinical context for the code, typical sites of service, commonly associated diagnoses for lower abdominal hernias, nearby related anesthesia codes for hernia repairs, and the range of modifiers that frequently appear on claims. The publication summarizes where 00834 fits within anesthesia coding for pediatric hernia repairs, highlights related CPT anesthesia codes for comparison, and provides operational context useful for coding, billing, and revenue cycle teams. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 00834 describes anesthesia services for repair of a lower abdominal hernia in an infant younger than 1 year of age. The service covers anesthesia management for surgical repair of hernias located in the lower abdomen when no more specific anesthesia code applies.
Service type: Anesthesia for pediatric lower abdominal hernia repair
Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center, where pediatric surgical procedures and anesthetic care for infants are performed.
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.