CPT 01963: Anesthesia for Cesarean Hysterectomy
CPT code 01963 represents anesthesia services provided for a cesarean hysterectomy — the removal of the uterus performed at the time of a cesarean delivery. This code is used when anesthesia is administered specifically for the hysterectomy portion of a cesarean procedure and does not include labor analgesia or routine intrapartum anesthesia. Nationally, accurate use of this code affects perioperative billing, bundled payment calculations, and anesthesia workload reporting for complex obstetric surgeries.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, United Healthcare, and Medicare. The analysis highlights payer coverage considerations and common clinical scenarios that justify reporting 01963, such as planned cesarean hysterectomy for abnormal placentation or uterine rupture diagnosed at delivery.
Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical context for 01963, comparisons to closely related anesthesia codes, and common ICD-10 diagnoses that align with the service. The publication also summarizes common billing modifiers used with intraoperative anesthesia in complex obstetric cases and practical coding distinctions between cesarean-only anesthesia and anesthesia for combined cesarean-hysterectomy. Data not available in the input is noted where relevant.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 01963 describes anesthesia services provided for a cesarean hysterectomy, which is the surgical removal of the uterus performed at the time of a cesarean delivery. The service covers anesthesia care specifically for the hysterectomy portion of the combined cesarean and hysterectomy procedure and does not include labor analgesia or routine anesthesia for labor.
Service type: Intraoperative anesthesia for cesarean hysterectomy
Typical site of service: Operating room during cesarean delivery
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National commercial reimbursement for CPT 01963 centers near BUCA’s average commercial rate of $80, with notable divergence among major payers. Cigna shows the highest central tendency with a median of $107.30 and a mean of $115.40, while Aetna and UnitedHealth Group cluster lower with medians of $48.00 and $63.70 and means of $69.50 and $67.20, respectively. Blue Cross Blue Shield’s median sits between those groups at $63.70 and has the highest single observed maximum at $253.70. BUCA’s mean of $80 functions as a market midpoint rather than an extreme.
Dispersion measured by the interquartile range (P75–P25) highlights variation: Cigna’s IQR is $57.10 (P75 $142.10 minus P25 $85.00), indicating the widest middle‑50% spread; Blue Cross Blue Shield follows with an IQR of $47.70. UnitedHealth Group is the tightest with an IQR of $27.40, and Aetna has a relatively narrow IQR of $51.50. These differences reflect varying contract and network dynamics across payers rather than absolute level alone.