CPT 00872: Anesthesia for Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (Partial Submersion)
CPT code 00872 captures anesthesia services provided when a patient is partially submerged in liquid during extracorporeal shock wave treatment for kidney or ureteral stones. This specialized anesthesia code is relevant nationally because it identifies cases with unique positioning and environmental considerations that can affect perioperative care, resource use, and billing specificity. Key payers included in analyses are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, United Healthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the clinical context for lithotripsy-related anesthesia, common payer coverage considerations, and linked anesthesia complexity codes. The publication summarizes service setting expectations (hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center) and explains how this code relates to extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy procedures. It also outlines typical companion anesthesia codes used for complex or age-related cases and emergency events. The material is intended to inform revenue cycle, clinical operations, and coding teams about the purpose of the code, common diagnostic scenarios that trigger its use, and where to locate related procedural codes for the underlying lithotripsy service. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 00872 describes anesthesia services provided while a patient is partially submerged in liquid during extracorporeal shock wave treatment for a kidney or ureteral stone. This represents anesthesia care specifically associated with lithotripsy procedures where the patient position and partial submersion in liquid are integral to the treatment.
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Service type: Anesthesia for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy
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Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center where extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is performed
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Commercial rates for CPT 00872 center near BUCA’s average commercial rate of $71.50, with variation across major insurers. Cigna and Blue Cross Blue Shield show higher central tendencies—Cigna’s median is $85.80 and BCBS’s median is $61.40—while Aetna and UnitedHealth Group sit lower in central tendency. BUCA’s mean of $71.50 provides a practical commercial benchmark between these payers.
Dispersion (P75 minus P25) highlights where rates are most and least compressed: Blue Cross Blue Shield’s spread is $40.80 (P75 $89.90 minus P25 $49.10), Cigna’s spread is $54.30 (P75 $121.10 minus P25 $68.00), Aetna’s spread is $33.00 (P75 $75.40 minus P25 $42.00), UnitedHealth Group’s spread is $28.80 (P75 $80.80 minus P25 $52.00), and BUCA’s spread is $37.00 (P75 $91.20 minus P25 $51.50). Cigna displays the widest dispersion and UnitedHealth Group the tightest.