Summary & Overview

CPT 01520: Anesthesia for Lower Leg Venous Procedure

CPT code 01520 represents anesthesia services delivered for procedures on the veins of the lower leg. This code identifies professional anesthesia involvement for lower-extremity venous procedures and is used in national billing and reimbursement frameworks to distinguish anesthesia time and complexity specific to these procedures. Accurate use of the code matters for clinical documentation, claims processing, and ensuring appropriate payment alignment for anesthesia teams across surgical settings.

Major national payers included in this overview are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, United Healthcare, and BUCA. Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical context for use of CPT code 01520, common billing modifiers and related anesthesia considerations, and how this code maps to typical service locations and anesthesia provider taxonomies. The publication summarizes associated ICD-10 diagnoses commonly encountered in the perioperative period and lists closely related anesthesia CPT codes for lower-leg procedures.

This summary is intended for clinicians, coding professionals, and revenue cycle staff seeking a compact reference to the clinical and billing purpose of CPT code 01520, and what elements to confirm in clinical documentation and claims submission. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnited HealthcareBUCACPT 01520AnesthesiaLower LegVascular SurgeryProcedure CodingOperating RoomPerioperative CareAnesthesiology

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 01520 describes anesthesia services provided for procedures on the veins of the lower leg. The service type is anesthesia for lower leg venous procedures, and the typical site of service is an operating room or procedural suite where lower leg vascular procedures are performed.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 68-year-old patient with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis presents for a vascular procedure involving the veins of the lower leg under anesthesia. The patient has a history of unilateral or bilateral primary osteoarthritis of the knee (M17.10, M17.11, M17.12, M17.0) and may have a prior knee arthroplasty (Z96.651, Z96.652). The clinical workflow: pre-anesthesia evaluation in the pre-op area, intraoperative anesthesia management during a procedure on the veins of the lower leg (below the knee), and immediate post-anesthesia recovery in the PACU. Typical site of service is an ambulatory surgery center or hospital operating room where vascular or interventional procedures on the lower leg are performed. The service type is anesthesia services for procedures on the veins of the lower leg.

Coding Specifications

01520: Anesthesia services for procedures on the veins of the lower leg.
Common modifiers and when to use them:
22: Use when the work required is substantially greater than typically required.
23: Use when a procedure is performed under general anesthesia but is usually done with local or no anesthesia.

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

National mean rates for CPT code 01520 show that Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna have the highest average reimbursement, with Cigna at $197.87 and Blue Cross Blue Shield at $174.61. UnitedHealth Group's mean rate is notably lower at $65.54, while BUCA (the average commercial benchmark) stands at $110.91. Medicare rates are not available in the input for comparison.

Rate dispersion, measured by the difference between the 75th and 25th percentiles, varies significantly across payers. Aetna exhibits the widest spread ($194.00), indicating substantial variability in contracted rates. Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna also show considerable dispersion ($83.15 and $173.00, respectively). UnitedHealth Group has the tightest range ($24.75), suggesting more consistent rates across providers. The table and chart below present the full breakdown of national benchmarks for each payer.

State Benchmarks

State: AK1 / 50

Alaska Benchmarks

Alaska exhibits a significant rate spread for CPT code 01520, particularly with Blue Cross Blue Shield, where the 75th percentile ($268.67) is substantially higher than the 25th percentile ($177.20), resulting in a spread of $91.47. Other payers, such as Aetna and UnitedHealth Group, show minimal rate variation, with both having a spread of only $0.00 between the 25th and 75th percentiles. This indicates that reimbursement rates are more consistent for these payers, while Blue Cross Blue Shield demonstrates greater variability.

Compared to national averages, Alaska's mean rates for Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealth Group are notably higher, while Cigna and Aetna are below their respective national benchmarks. The table and chart below present the full breakdown of payer-specific reimbursement rates in Alaska for CPT code 01520.

Key Insights for Alaska

Blue Cross Blue Shield is the highest paying payer for CPT 01520 in Alaska, with a mean rate of $219.34.
UnitedHealth Group offers the lowest mean rate at $74.78.
Alaska's mean rates for most payers are higher than their respective national averages, except for Cigna and Aetna, which are below national benchmarks.

Related Codes

01430

CPT 01430: Anesthesia for Knee Joint Procedures, Not Otherwise Specified

01622

CPT 01622: Anesthesia for Diagnostic Shoulder Arthroscopy

01250

CPT 01250: Anesthesia for Shoulder and Axilla Procedures

01656

CPT 01656: Anesthesia for Axillary to Femoral Artery Bypass Graft

01400

CPT 01400: Anesthesia for Knee Arthroscopic or Open Procedures

01272

CPT 01272: Anesthesia for Upper Leg Vascular Procedures (Femoral Artery)

01650

CPT 01650: Anesthesia for Knee Arthroscopy Procedures

01490

CPT 01490: Anesthesia for Lower Leg (Below Knee) Procedures

01360

CPT 01360: Anesthesia for Procedures on the Knee and Popliteal Area

01214

CPT 01214: Anesthesia for Total Hip Arthroplasty

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty Name
`207L00000X`	Anesthesiology
`207LA0401X`	Pain Medicine (Anesthesiology)
`367500000X`	Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

National Mean Rates for CPT Code `01520` by Payer

State Benchmarks

State: AK1 / 50

Alaska Benchmarks

Mean Reimbursement Rates by Payer in Alaska for CPT 01520

Key Insights for Alaska

Blue Cross Blue Shield is the highest paying payer for CPT 01520 in Alaska, with a mean rate of $219.34.
UnitedHealth Group offers the lowest mean rate at $74.78.
Alaska's mean rates for most payers are higher than their respective national averages, except for Cigna and Aetna, which are below national benchmarks.