Summary & Overview
CPT 01462: Anesthesia for Open Bone Procedures of Lower Leg/Ankle/Foot
CPT 01462 designates anesthesia services for open surgical procedures on bones of the lower leg, ankle, and foot. It is a procedure-level anesthesiology code used when patients undergo operative management of fractures, bone repairs, or other open orthopedic interventions in the distal lower extremity. This code matters nationally because anesthesia choice and coding for lower-extremity open bone procedures affect perioperative workflows, billing clarity, and facility billing categorizations across inpatient settings.
Key payers included in the coverage discussion are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, and UnitedHealthcare. The publication outlines what clinicians, coders, and billing staff need to know about typical use of CPT 01462, how it relates to related anesthesia codes, applicable clinical contexts, and common billing modifiers. Readers will find concise benchmarks for code application, context on commonly associated diagnoses and procedures, and a summary of how the code fits within anesthesiology service lines in the inpatient hospital setting.
This summary is intended as a high-level reference for clinicians, anesthesiology teams, and revenue cycle staff seeking clarity on where CPT 01462 applies, which clinical scenarios prompt its use, and which major commercial payers are relevant for coverage considerations. Data not available in the input is noted where specific numeric benchmarks or payer-specific policy language would normally appear.
CPT Code Overview
CPT 01462 covers anesthesia for open procedures on bones of the lower leg, ankle, and foot. This code is used when general, regional, or monitored anesthesia services are provided for surgical interventions that involve open treatment of the tibia, fibula, ankle, or foot bones.
Service type: Anesthesiology
Typical site of service: Inpatient Hospital (POS 21)
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 45-year-old inpatient with a closed fracture of the lower leg presents for an open reduction and internal fixation of the tibia and/or fibula. The patient is admitted to the hospital (Inpatient Hospital, POS 21) after sustaining a traumatic tibial or fibular fracture and reports significant pain and limited weight bearing. Preoperative evaluation by the anesthesiology team documents airway assessment, comorbidities, and perioperative risk. On the day of surgery, anesthetic care is provided for an open procedure on bones of the lower leg, ankle, or foot, which may include fixation of fractures, hardware removal in the same admission, or soft-tissue management as part of the operative plan. Intraoperative monitoring, airway management, hemodynamic support, and postoperative handoff to the recovery unit are part of the clinical workflow.
Coding Specifications
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Modifiers
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QS: Monitored anesthesia care service — Use when the anesthesia service is billed as monitored anesthesia care rather than general anesthesia for the procedure described by01462. -
QX: CRNA service with medical direction by a physician — Use when a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist provides the anesthesia service under medical direction by a physician and billing requires the CRNA/physician split indicator. -
Provider Taxonomies
| Taxonomy Code | Specialty |
|---|---|
207L00000X | Anesthesiology — Physician anesthesiologist specialty providing anesthesia care |
207RA0401X | Anesthesiology Assistant — Anesthesia care provided by an anesthesiology assistant under physician supervision |
367500000X | Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist — CRNA providing anesthesia care |
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Notes
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Billing should reflect the actual service performed and the appropriate modifier to indicate monitored anesthesia care or CRNA with physician direction.
Related Diagnoses
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S82.101A— Fracture of upper end of right tibia, initial encounter for closed fractureClinical relevance: This tibial fracture may necessitate an open surgical fixation of the lower leg bones where anesthesia described by
01462is provided. -
S82.202A— Fracture of shaft of left fibula, initial encounter for closed fractureClinical relevance: A fibular shaft fracture can be treated operatively with open fixation; anesthesia for open procedures on lower leg bones is applicable.
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M25.571— Pain in right ankle and joints of right footClinical relevance: Pain in the ankle or foot often accompanies fractures or posttraumatic conditions requiring operative intervention covered by
01462. -
M25.572— Pain in left ankle and joints of left footClinical relevance: Similar to
M25.571, this symptom code may be present in patients undergoing anesthesia for operative care of lower leg/ankle/foot pathology. -
S93.401A— Sprain of unspecified ligament of right ankle, initial encounterClinical relevance: An ankle sprain with instability or concomitant injury may require surgical repair or exploration during which anesthesia for lower leg/ankle/foot open procedures (
01462) is provided.
Related CPT Codes
| CPT Code | Description |
|---|---|
01464 | Anesthesia for open procedures on bones of lower leg, ankle, and foot; total ankle replacement |
01470 | Anesthesia for procedures on lower leg, ankle, and foot; closed procedures on bones of lower leg, ankle, and foot |
01480 | Anesthesia for procedures on lower leg, ankle, and foot; procedures on nerves, muscles, tendons, fascia, and bursae of lower leg, ankle, and foot |
20680 | Removal of implant; deep (e.g., buried wire, pin, screw, metal band, nail, rod or plate) |
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01464is specific to open procedures that include total ankle replacement and is an alternative when the operative procedure is ankle arthroplasty rather than fracture fixation. -
01470applies to closed procedures on bones of the lower leg, ankle, and foot and may be coded instead of01462when the operative approach is closed rather than open. -
01480covers anesthesia for procedures on soft tissue structures (nerves, muscles, tendons, fascia, bursae) of the lower leg, ankle, and foot and may be used when the primary surgical focus is soft tissue rather than bony open procedures. -
20680describes deep removal of implants; it may be used in the same clinical workflow if implant removal is performed during the admission and the anesthetic supports that additional procedure.01462and20680can be reported in the same operative episode when both anesthesia for the open bony procedure and the surgical removal of deep implants occur.
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National commercial mean rates exceed Medicare-level reimbursement; BUCA (average commercial) has a mean rate of $115.15 compared with Medicare at $0.00 based on the input. Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna show higher mean allowed rates at $170.01 and $198.38 respectively, while UnitedHealth Group is substantially lower at $65.52.
Rate dispersion (P75 minus P25) is widest for Aetna (difference = $204.50) and Cigna (difference = $172.67), indicating broader variability in allowable amounts. UnitedHealth Group is the tightest (difference = $24.85), followed by BCBS (difference = $80.25). The table and chart below present the full breakdown.
State Benchmarks
State: AK1 / 50
Alaska Benchmarks
Alaska shows a significant spread in reimbursement rates for CPT code 01462 across payers, with Blue Cross Blue Shield exhibiting the widest range between the 25th and 75th percentiles ($90.55), while Aetna and UnitedHealth Group have minimal spread ($0 to $3). This indicates that some payers maintain consistent rates, whereas others, like Blue Cross Blue Shield and BUCA, offer a broader range of payments. Compared to national averages, Alaska's mean rates for most payers are notably higher, especially for Blue Cross Blue Shield and BUCA, highlighting a premium in the state's reimbursement environment.
The table and chart below present the full breakdown of mean rates and percentile distributions for each payer in Alaska, allowing for direct comparison and identification of rate variability across the market.
Key Insights for Alaska
- Blue Cross Blue Shield is the highest paying payer for CPT 01462 in Alaska, with a mean rate of $219.08.
- UnitedHealth Group offers the lowest mean rate at $74.78.
- Mean rates for most payers in Alaska are higher than their respective national averages, except for Cigna and UnitedHealth Group, which are below national benchmarks.
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.