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    OpenPayerBilling CodesAnesthesia for Burn Excisions or Debridement ProceduresCPT cpt-01953-anesthesia-burn-excision-debridement-additional-9pct-tbsa
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    CPT 01953: Anesthesia for Burn Excision/Debridement per Additional 9% TBSA

    Commercial payers pay $82 on average nationally for this procedure.

    CPT code 01953 describes anesthesia services provided during the same session as surgical excision or debridement of second‑ and third‑degree burns, billed for each additional 9 percent of total body surface area (TBSA) or part thereof; the service is an anesthesia procedure typically delivered in the operating room or other procedural surgical setting and may accompany skin grafting or debridement at any anatomic site.

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use Disorders, Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use Disorders, Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use Disorders.

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    National Reimbursement Benchmarks

    BUCA’s average commercial rate of $82 frames the national mid-market for CPT 01953; individual commercial payers vary substantially around that point. Cigna holds the highest mean at $115 and a wide upper tail with a P90 of $265.30, while Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield sit near the BUCA average with means of $79.30 and $77.20 respectively. UnitedHealth Group has the lowest mean at $66.10 and a relatively compressed upper distribution compared with Cigna.

    Dispersion measured as P75 minus P25 highlights which payers are tightest or widest: Blue Cross Blue Shield’s dispersion is $52.80 (P75 $100.60 minus P25 $48.00) and UnitedHealth Group’s is the tightest at $29.00 (P75 $79.00 minus P25 $50.00). Cigna shows the widest dispersion at $69.00 (P75 $139.00 minus P25 $69.00), indicating greater variability in higher commercial payments around its $115 mean.

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    National Payer Mean Reimbursement Rates

    State Reimbursement Rates

    State: Alaska1 / 51

    Rate by payer

    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A 34-year-old male presents to the operating room for staged excision and debridement of second- and third-degree thermal burns sustained in a house fire three days earlier. The patient has burns of the chest wall, right shoulder and upper limb, right wrist and hand, and right lower limb with combined affected areas exceeding 9% TBSA. The anesthesiology team documents a preoperative evaluation, induction of general anesthesia, airway management, intraoperative monitoring, fluid and blood product management, and postoperative handoff to the burn unit.

    The clinical workflow: preoperative assessment by an anesthesiologist (airway evaluation, comorbidities, resuscitation status), confirmation of TBSA to be excised during the session, assignment of anesthesia plan (general endotracheal anesthesia with invasive monitoring if indicated), induction and maintenance of anesthesia, management of hemodynamics and analgesia during extensive debridement and potential skin grafting, documentation of total TBSA treated during the anesthesia encounter, and post-anesthesia recovery and transfer to intensive care or designated burn unit for continued resuscitation and wound care. Billing uses the primary burn anesthesia base code appropriate for the TBSA bracket plus additional units billed with 01953 for each additional 9 percent (or part thereof) of TBSA treated during the same anesthesia session.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    01951

    Related Modifiers

    9 rows

    ModifierDescriptionWhen to Use
    22Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…
    23Modifier -23 (Unusual Anesthesia) is used on anesthesia service CPT codes when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia…- Use modifier -23 only on anesthesia CPT codes (00100–01999) when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia because of…
    50Modifier –50 (Bilateral Procedure) is appended to a CPT code when an identical procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures during the same operative session. The AMA states to add…- Use modifier -50 when the same CPT surgical, diagnostic, or radiology procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures (both sides of the body) during the same operative/session by the same…
    52Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
    53Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
    54Modifier ‑54 (“Surgical care only”) is appended to a CPT surgical procedure when the reporting surgeon performs the intraoperative (surgical) component but does not furnish the preoperative and/or…- Use modifier -54 when the reporting surgeon provided only the intraoperative (surgical) component of a procedure and preoperative and/or postoperative management has been or will be provided by…
    55Modifier –55 indicates the billing provider furnished only postoperative management for a procedure that has a global surgical period. According to AAPC, this modifier is appended to the same CPT…- Use modifier -55 when billing the same CPT surgical code that has a 10- or 90-day global period and you, as a provider other than the original surgeon, furnished ONLY postoperative management (no…
    62Modifier 62 indicates that two surgeons function as co‑surgeons, each performing distinct parts of the same primary surgical procedure. It is appended to the primary procedure code (and any…- Use modifier -62 when two surgeons act as co‑surgeons (both primary surgeons) on a single definitive primary procedure, each performing distinct parts of the same surgical procedure (append -62 to…
    78CPT modifier -78 indicates an unplanned, related return to the operating or procedure room by the same provider during the global postoperative period. It is appended when treatment for a…- Use modifier -78 when an unplanned, related complication during the original procedure’s global postoperative period requires the patient to return to a formal operating or procedure room and the…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy CodeSpecialtyNotes
    207L00000XAnesthesiology PhysicianAn anesthesiologist is trained to provide pain relief and maintenance, or restoration, of a stable condition during and immediately following an opera…
    207LP2900XPain Medicine (Anesthesiology) PhysicianAn anesthesiologist who provides a high level of care, either as a primary physician or consultant, for patients experiencing problems with acute, chr…
    207LP3000XPediatric Anesthesiology PhysicianAn anesthesiologist who has had additional skill and experience in and is primarily concerned with the anesthesia, sedation, and pain management needs…
    332BD1200XDialysis Equipment & Supplies (DME)Suppliers · Durable Medical Equipment & Medical Supplies
    225XR0403XDriving and Community Mobility Occupational TherapistOccupational therapists can optimize and prolong an older driver's ability to drive safely and ease the transition to other forms of transportation if…
    3336I0012XInstitutional PharmacyA pharmacy in a hospital (inpatient) or institution used by pharmacists for the compounding and delivery of medicinal preparations to be administered …
    207RH0003XHematology & Oncology PhysicianAn internist doctor of osteopathy that specializes in the treatment of the combination of hematology and oncology disorders. A doctor of osteopathy t…
    261QR0200XRadiology Clinic/CenterAmbulatory Health Care Facilities · Clinic/Center

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: Anesthesiology1 / 3

    7 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use DisordersPremera Bluecross2026-07-01
    Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use DisordersPremera Bluecross2026-07-01
    Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use DisordersPremera Bluecross2026-07-01
    Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use DisordersPremera Bluecross2026-07-01
    Elective Inpatient Services (for Idaho Only)UnitedHealthcare2026-06-01
    Sites of Servicepriority health2026-06-01
    Coverage for Ambulatory Surgery Unit (ASU)/Outpatient Facility and Anesthesia for Dental Servicesuniverahealthcare2026-05-21

    Related Codes

    CPT-01951-ANESTHESIA-BURN-EXCISION-DEBRIDEMENT-LESS-THAN-4PCT-BSA

    CPT 01951: Anesthesia for Excision/Debridement of <4% Burns

    CPT-01952-ANESTHESIA-BURN-EXCISION-DEBRIDEMENT-4-9-TBSA

    CPT 01952: Anesthesia for Burn Excision/Debridement 4–9% TBSA

    Frequently Asked Questions

    References

    1. 1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
    2. 2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
    3. 3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.
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    Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

    Anesthesia for second- and third-degree burn excision or debridement with or without skin grafting, any site, for total body surface area (TBSA) treated during anesthesia and surgery; less than 4 percent total body surface area
    Use as the base anesthesia code when TBSA treated in the session is under 4% prior to applying any additional unit codes.
    01952Anesthesia for second- and third-degree burn excision or debridement with or without skin grafting, any site, for total body surface area (TBSA) treated during anesthesia and surgery; 4 percent to 9 percent total body surface areaUse when TBSA treated during the anesthesia session is between 4% and 9% as the primary TBSA bracket code.
    01953Anesthesia for second- and third-degree burn excision or debridement with or without skin grafting, any site, for total body surface area (TBSA) treated during anesthesia and surgery; each additional 9 percent or part thereofUse in conjunction with 01951 or 01952 to report each additional increment of up to 9% TBSA (or part) treated during the same anesthesia session.