Summary & Overview

CPT 00934: Anesthesia for Lower Abdominal Hernia Repairs

Headline: Anesthesia Code 00934 Defined for Lower Abdominal Hernia Repairs

Lead: CPT 00934 denotes anesthetic services for hernia repairs in the lower abdomen when no more specific anesthesia code applies. It identifies anesthesia care provided during a common category of surgical procedures and is relevant for billing, clinical documentation, and payer policy alignment.

What the code represents and why it matters nationally: CPT 00934 captures anesthetic management for lower abdominal hernia repairs that are not specified elsewhere in the anesthesia code set. Nationally, accurate use of this code affects claims processing, provider reimbursement, and coding consistency across surgical and anesthesia practices. Clear application supports appropriate payment and reduces claim denials tied to miscoding.

Key payers covered in this analysis: Aetna; Blue Cross Blue Shield; Cigna Health; UnitedHealthcare.

Overview of reader takeaways: Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical and billing context for CPT 00934, comparisons to related anesthesia and hernia repair procedure codes, and lists of commonly associated ICD-10 diagnoses. The publication outlines typical site-of-service considerations and highlights common modifiers and specialty taxonomies associated with providers who report this anesthesia code. If any operational or data elements are unavailable in the source input, the publication flags those gaps as "Data not available in the input."

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareCPT 00934AnesthesiologyHernia RepairLower AbdomenOutpatient HospitalAnesthesia CodingICD-10 MappingClinical Documentation

CPT Code Overview

CPT 00934 describes anesthesia for hernia repairs in the lower abdomen not otherwise specified. This procedure falls under the Anesthesiology service type and is typically provided in an Outpatient Hospital (POS 22) setting. The code is used to report anesthetic management when a patient undergoes lower abdominal hernia repair procedures that are not captured by more specific anesthesia codes.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical adult patient presents to the outpatient hospital surgical center with a symptomatic reducible groin bulge and localized discomfort. The surgical team schedules a minimally invasive or open repair of an inguinal or lower abdominal hernia. On the day of surgery the patient is prepped in preoperative holding, routine anesthesia evaluation is completed by the anesthesiologist, monitoring lines and standard ASA monitors are applied, and anesthesia is administered for the hernia repair. The anesthetic plan may include general anesthesia with endotracheal or laryngeal mask airway, regional techniques, or monitored anesthesia care depending on the procedure, patient status, and surgeon preference. The procedure concludes in the PACU where the patient is recovered and discharged per outpatient hospital protocols.

Coding Specifications

Modifiers
QS: Monitored anesthesia care service — use when anesthesia services are provided as monitored anesthesia care rather than general or regional anesthesia for the hernia repair.
P1: A normal healthy patient — use to report the ASA physical status of a patient classified as a normal healthy patient when required by payer reporting.
Provider Taxonomies

Taxonomy Code	Specialty
`207L00000X`	Anesthesiology — Physicians specializing in perioperative anesthesia care
`207LA0401X`	Pain Medicine Anesthesiologist — Anesthesiologists with subspecialty focus on pain management
`207LP2900X`	Pediatric Anesthesiology — Anesthesiologists who specialize in anesthesia for pediatric patients

Related Diagnoses

K40.90 — Unilateral inguinal hernia, without obstruction or gangrene, not specified as recurrent

Clinical relevance: This is a common indication for lower abdominal hernia repair and corresponds directly to the anesthetic services described by 00934.
K41.90 — Unilateral femoral hernia, without obstruction or gangrene, not specified as recurrent

Clinical relevance: Femoral hernias in the groin/lower abdomen may require surgical repair; anesthesia for this procedure is represented by 00934.
K42.9 — Umbilical hernia without obstruction or gangrene

Clinical relevance: Umbilical hernia repairs are lower abdominal procedures for which anesthesia may be reported with 00934.
K43.9 — Ventral hernia without obstruction or gangrene

Clinical relevance: Ventral (incisional) hernia repairs in the lower abdominal region are indications for anesthesia services coded by 00934.
K44.9 — Diaphragmatic hernia without obstruction or gangrene

Clinical relevance: Diaphragmatic hernia is listed among possible related diagnoses; when repair involves lower abdominal approaches addressed by the operative note, anesthesia services may be reported with 00934 if documentation supports that the anesthetic was for a lower abdominal hernia repair.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description
`49505`	Repair initial inguinal hernia, age 5 years or older; reducible
`49585`	Repair umbilical hernia, age 5 years or older; reducible
`49560`	Repair initial incisional or ventral hernia; reducible
`00830`	Anesthesia for procedures in lower abdomen, including hernia repairs

49505: Primary surgical procedure for an initial inguinal hernia repair; anesthesia reported with 00934 when the anesthetic specifically documents hernia repair in the lower abdomen.
49585: Primary surgical procedure for umbilical hernia repair; may be performed in the same workflow as other lower abdominal hernia repairs covered by anesthesia code 00934 when documentation supports the service.
49560: Primary surgical procedure for incisional or ventral hernia repair; anesthesia code 00934 applies when the anesthetic service is for a lower abdominal hernia repair.
00830: General anesthesia code for lower abdominal procedures including hernia repairs; serves as a related anesthesia descriptor and may be used for broader lower abdominal anesthesia reporting depending on payer guidance.
Common use relationships: 00934 is the specific anesthesia code for hernia repairs in the lower abdomen and is used in conjunction with the corresponding surgical repair CPT (49505, 49585, 49560). 00830 is a related anesthesia code covering lower abdominal procedures and may be an alternative depending on documentation and payer coding rules.

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

National mean rates show commercial payers generally above the BUCA (average commercial) mean of $147.86, with Cigna ($352.10), Blue Cross Blue Shield ($316.37), and Aetna ($185.97) exceeding that benchmark. UnitedHealth Group is below BUCA at $65.58. Medicare mean rate is not provided in the input.

Rate dispersion (P75 minus P25) is widest for Cigna (approximately $430.28) and BCBS (approximately $209.50), indicating high variability in allowed rates. UnitedHealth Group is the tightest (approximately $25.56), followed by Aetna (approximately $310.50) and BUCA (approximately $182.97). The table and chart below present the full breakdown of mean rates and percentiles for each payer.

National Mean Allowed Rates for `00934` by Payer

State Benchmarks

State: AK1 / 50

Alaska Benchmarks

Alaska exhibits a substantial rate spread for CPT code 00934, particularly with Blue Cross Blue Shield, where the difference between the 75th and 25th percentiles is $212.83 ($537.00 minus $324.17). Other payers, such as Aetna, Cigna, and UnitedHealth Group, show minimal rate variation, with spreads of $0.00 to $8.00, indicating highly consistent reimbursement rates across providers for these payers.

Compared to national averages, Alaska's mean rates for Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna are significantly higher, while Cigna and UnitedHealth Group are closer to or slightly above national benchmarks. The table and chart below present the full breakdown of payer-specific reimbursement rates in Alaska.

Mean Reimbursement Rates by Payer in Alaska for CPT 00934

Key Insights for Alaska

Blue Cross Blue Shield is the highest paying payer for CPT 00934 in Alaska, with a mean rate of $419.58.
UnitedHealth Group offers the lowest mean rate at $75.12.
Alaska's mean rates for most payers are notably higher than national averages, especially for Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Related Codes

00936

CPT 00936: Anesthesia for Perineal Procedures with Lymphadenectomy

01140

CPT 01140: Anesthesia for Interpelviabdominal (Hindquarter) Amputation

00926

CPT 00926: Anesthesia for Procedures on the Perineum

00902

CPT 00902: Anesthesia for Perineal Procedures, Not Otherwise Specified

01173

CPT 01173: Anesthesia for Pelvic Procedures (Except Hip)

01180

CPT 01180: Anesthesia for Lower Leg, Ankle, and Foot Procedures

00921

CPT 00921: Anesthesia for Vasectomy Procedures on Male Genitalia

01120

CPT 01120: Anesthesia for Procedures on Bony Pelvis

00916

CPT 00916: Anesthesia for Urinary System Bleeding Procedures with Endoscope

00928

CPT 00928: Anesthesia for Radical Abdominal Orchiectomy

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