CPT 01958: Anesthesia for External Cephalic Version
CPT code 01958 designates anesthesia services performed specifically for an external cephalic version (ECV), an obstetric procedure used to attempt to turn a breech fetus to a head-down position. This code is clinically important because anesthesia may facilitate maternal relaxation and procedural success while balancing maternal and fetal safety considerations. Nationally, accurate coding of anesthesia for ECV affects clinical workflows, anesthesia resource allocation in obstetric units, and payer coverage determinations.
Key payers referenced include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication covers how these payers commonly address authorization and reimbursement for anesthesia related to ECV, and highlights common modifiers and coding relationships that influence claim adjudication.
Readers will find a concise clinical context for when 01958 is used, typical sites of service, and the common ICD-10 diagnoses associated with ECV for breech presentation. The report also summarizes related anesthesia codes for vaginal and cesarean delivery to clarify coding choices when multiple obstetric anesthesia services occur. Policy and billing implications relevant to national payers and hospital billing teams are summarized to support coding accuracy and claim consistency.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 01958 describes anesthesia services provided for an external cephalic version (ECV) procedure. The service type is anesthesia for an obstetric procedure, and the typical site of service is an inpatient or outpatient labor and delivery setting where ECV is performed to attempt fetal version from breech to cephalic presentation.
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National commercial reimbursement for CPT 01958 centers around BUCA’s average commercial rate of $70.80, with individual payer means varying notably. Cigna posts the highest mean at $96.50 while Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and UnitedHealth Group cluster in the mid-$60s ($67.10, $64.50, $67.40 respectively). Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna show high-end outliers (maxes near $199 and $192) and low-end minimums down to single digits for some payers, indicating broad ceiling and floor differences across carriers.
Dispersion measured as the interquartile range (P75–P25) highlights variability: Cigna’s IQR is $58.00 ($125.00–$68.40), the widest, followed by Aetna at $50.70 ($90.70–$40.00) and BUCA at $41.20 ($90.00–$48.80). UnitedHealth Group is the tightest with an IQR of $28.90 ($80.90–$52.00), while Blue Cross Blue Shield’s IQR is $36.60 ($81.00–$44.40). These differences signal that payer-specific contract bands vary substantially, with Cigna showing the broadest middle spread and UnitedHealth Group the narrowest.