CPT 01482: Anesthesia for Lower Leg, Ankle, and Foot Procedures
Commercial payers pay $83 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 01482 describes anesthesia services provided for procedures on the bones of the lower leg, ankle, and foot, specifically including radical resections such as below-knee amputation; the service type is anesthesia for major lower-extremity bone surgery, typically delivered in an inpatient or ambulatory surgical center operating room setting.
For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Dental Anesthesia Services, Anesthesia Services for Interventional Pain Management Procedures in an Adult, General Anesthesia and Conscious Sedation Services.
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National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National commercial reimbursement centers on BUCA’s average commercial rate of $82.70, with individual payers showing distinct central tendencies and dispersion. Blue Cross Blue Shield’s interquartile spread (P75–P25) is $50.90 ($102.30–$51.90), Aetna’s spread is $93.10 ($138.60–$45.00), Cigna’s spread is $40.40 ($108.10–$67.60), and UnitedHealth Group’s spread is $28.90 ($80.90–$52.00). These spreads indicate that UnitedHealth Group and Cigna exhibit the tightest pricing bands around their medians, while Aetna demonstrates the widest middle-50% variability, suggesting greater commercial rate dispersion within that payer.
Beyond dispersion, central values vary: Cigna’s median of $84.40 and BUCA’s mean of $82.70 are closely aligned, while Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield show higher upper tails (Aetna max $421.70; Blue Cross Blue Shield max $209.10) relative to UnitedHealth Group (max $122.70). The contrast between median/mean clustering and extreme maximums highlights that some payers have occasional high-end rates even when their interquartile ranges are moderate.