CPT 01990: Anesthesiology Physiologic Support for Organ Procurement
CPT code 01990 denotes anesthesiology services providing physiological support to a brain-dead patient during organ procurement. This code captures specialized intraoperative management aimed at preserving donor organ function during recovery procedures, and it is used in hospital operating rooms or dedicated procurement suites. The code matters nationally because organ transplantation involves complex perioperative care, cross-disciplinary coordination, and specific billing pathways distinct from routine anesthesia services.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context for the code, common settings where the service is delivered, and links to related anesthesia and procedural codes for reference. The publication summarizes payer coverage considerations and coding relationships that affect billing for organ procurement anesthesia, and highlights areas where policy clarification or coding guidance is commonly sought. This resource is intended for billing professionals, anesthesia providers, hospital revenue cycle staff, and compliance officers who need a clear, national-level description of the service represented by CPT code 01990.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 01990 describes physiological support provided by an anesthesiology provider to a brain-dead patient during organ procurement. The service involves management of cardiopulmonary and related physiological functions to maintain organ viability while organs are surgically recovered.
Service type: Anesthesiology – organ procurement physiological support
Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or organ procurement surgical suite
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
For CPT 01990 the average commercial benchmark represented by BUCA sits at $68.30, placing it near the middle of the payer mix. Blue Cross Blue Shield shows wider dispersion around its central tendency (P75 $78.40 minus P25 $42.70 = $35.70), and Cigna also demonstrates substantial spread (P75 $123.00 minus P25 $69.30 = $53.70), indicating more variability in upper-end contract pricing. Aetna and UnitedHealth Group display narrower interquartile ranges: Aetna’s P75 $72.00 minus P25 $42.00 = $30.00, and UnitedHealth Group’s P75 $80.80 minus P25 $51.20 = $29.60, suggesting comparatively tighter middle-market agreements.
Median and mean differentials reflect similar patterns: Cigna’s mean of $95.10 exceeds its median $86.00, consistent with higher upper outliers, while Blue Cross Blue Shield’s mean $63.10 sits above its median $53.30 but with moderate skew. Aetna’s mean $57.90 and UnitedHealth Group’s mean $67.20 align more closely with their medians, reinforcing relative consistency. Across the commercial landscape BUCA’s $68.30 average approximates the mid-market position between the tighter Aetna/UnitedHealth Group dispersion and the wider variability evident with Cigna and Blue Cross Blue Shield.