Summary & Overview
CPT 01922: Anesthesia for Non‑Invasive Imaging or Radiation Therapy
CPT code 01922 represents anesthesia services delivered during non–invasive imaging or radiation therapy procedures. It identifies encounters where an anesthesia professional provides peri-procedural anesthesia management to facilitate imaging or radiation treatments that do not involve invasive surgical techniques. Nationally, accurate use of this code supports appropriate clinical documentation, claims adjudication, and resource tracking for anesthesiology and radiation oncology services.
Key payers in typical analyses include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context for use of CPT code 01922, common coding relationships, and comparisons to related anesthesia codes used for diagnostic imaging and therapeutic radiology. The publication summarizes typical sites of service and clinical scenarios prompting anesthesia for imaging or radiation therapy, and it highlights common billing considerations and coding relationships to nearby anesthesia codes for imaging and radiation services.
This summary is written for a national audience and focuses on code definition, clinical setting, payer coverage scope, and practical coding context for anesthesia professionals and revenue cycle stakeholders.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 01922 describes anesthesia services provided for patients undergoing non–invasive imaging or radiation therapy. The service typically involves administration and management of anesthesia during imaging or radiation sessions that do not require invasive surgical intervention.
Service type: Anesthesia for non-invasive imaging or radiation therapy
Typical site of service: Imaging centers or radiation oncology suites where diagnostic imaging or therapeutic radiation is delivered
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an adult with a cancer diagnosis scheduled to receive non‑invasive imaging or external beam radiation therapy who requires anesthesia to tolerate immobilization or avoid movement that would compromise imaging or radiation targeting. Example: a 62‑year‑old male with C34.90 (malignant neoplasm of unspecified part of bronchus or lung) and severe anxiety and COPD undergoing stereotactic body radiation therapy to a pulmonary lesion. Pre‑procedure workflow includes pre‑anesthesia evaluation (airway, cardiopulmonary status, medication reconciliation), consent for anesthesia, verification of radiation/imaging plan and immobilization device, and coordination with radiation oncology or radiology staff for timed delivery. On the day of service the anesthesiology team provides monitored deep sedation or general anesthesia in the radiation suite or imaging suite, ensures physiologic stability during imaging/radiation, manages airway and ventilation as needed, and performs post‑anesthesia recovery and handoff to nursing with documentation of anesthetic agents, airway management, monitoring data, and any intra‑procedural events. Typical sites of service are the radiation therapy suite or diagnostic/therapeutic imaging department within an outpatient cancer center or hospital ambulatory clinic.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
23 | Unusual procedural service (anesthesia for procedures that are normally done without anesthesia) |