CPT 01926: Anesthesia for Therapeutic Endovascular Procedures Involving Aorta, Intracranial, Intracardiac
CPT code 01926 designates anesthesia services for therapeutic interventional radiology procedures targeting central arterial structures — specifically intracranial arteries, intracardiac vessels, and the aorta. This code captures anesthetic management for complex, image-guided endovascular or catheter-based interventions that commonly require advanced airway, hemodynamic monitoring, and coordination with procedural teams. Nationally, accurate use of this code supports appropriate payment for high-acuity anesthesia care associated with risk-intensive vascular procedures.
Key payers considered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication outlines payer coverage patterns and coding guidance relevant to these major payers, and situates 01926 within the broader anesthesia service portfolio.
Readers will gain a concise clinical and billing overview of when 01926 applies, how it differs from related anesthesia codes for diagnostic arteriography, and what clinical contexts typically trigger its use. The report also summarizes benchmarks and policy updates affecting anesthesia coding for interventional vascular procedures, and highlights important documentation elements that justify use of this code in a national context.
Customize your policy alerts
Sign up for cpt 01926 policy alerts
Get alerted when payer policies referencing 01926 are released or updated.
Monitor payer policy activity
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 01926 describes anesthesia services provided for patients undergoing therapeutic interventional radiological procedures involving major central arteries: intracranial arteries within the skull, intracardiac vessels within the heart, or the aorta. These anesthesia services cover peri-procedural management to support imaging-guided endovascular or catheter-based therapeutic interventions.
Service Type
- Anesthesia for therapeutic endovascular/interventional radiology procedures involving intracranial arteries, intracardiac vessels, or the aorta.
Typical Site of Service
- Hospital operating room or interventional radiology suite where complex endovascular or catheter-based therapeutic procedures on central arteries are performed.
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National commercial reimbursement for CPT 01926 centers near BUCA’s average commercial rate of $91.10, with considerable variation among major payers. Blue Cross Blue Shield has a relatively tight middle spread (P75−P25 = $37.80), while UnitedHealth Group also shows a compact dispersion (P75−P25 = $27.50). Cigna and BUCA exhibit wider middle spreads at $57.60 and $56.70 respectively, indicating more variability around their medians. Aetna displays the largest dispersion across the interquartile (P75−P25 = $123.40), reflecting substantial rate variability among commercial contracts.
Comparing central tendency, Cigna’s median of $107.30 and Aetna’s median of $121.60 sit above BUCA’s $80.30 median, while Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealth Group medians are lower. Maximums also diverge: Aetna and Cigna reach substantially higher top-end rates ($418.20 and $184.50), whereas UnitedHealth Group tops out at $122.70, underscoring differences in ceiling pricing across payers.