Summary & Overview
CPT 0609U: ClarityDX Prostate PSA Algorithm-Based Risk Score
CPT code 0609U designates the proprietary ClarityDX Prostate test from Protean BioDiagnostics and Nanostics Inc. This PLA code covers a lab test that measures total and free PSA in serum or plasma and integrates those values with clinical inputs to produce an algorithm‑based probability score for clinically significant prostate cancer. As a PLA, 0609U is specific to a single manufacturer’s test, which affects billing, coding clarity, and payer coverage review nationally. Key payers reviewed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the test’s clinical purpose and service setting, plus national coverage and billing considerations relevant to a proprietary laboratory assay. The publication outlines benchmark elements and typical reimbursement contexts for single-source PLA tests, highlights clinical implications of algorithm‑based PSA reporting for prostate cancer risk stratification, and summarizes common policy themes payers use when evaluating new proprietary diagnostics. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable; the focus remains on code definition, clinical context, and the landscape of payer coverage considerations for CPT code 0609U.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 0609U is a Proprietary Laboratory Analyses (PLA) code that applies only to the single test identified as ClarityDX Prostate from Protean BioDiagnostics and Nanostics Inc. The test uses immunoassays to measure total and free prostate–specific antigen (PSA) levels in serum or plasma and combines those laboratory results with clinical information to generate an algorithm‑based probability score for clinically significant prostate cancer.
Service type: Laboratory — proprietary algorithm-based PSA assay
Typical site of service: Clinical laboratory or hospital outpatient laboratory; specimen collected in outpatient clinic or phlebotomy setting
Data not available in the input for modifiers, associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, related codes, and service line.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 62-year-old man with a history of rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values and an equivocal digital rectal exam presents for further risk stratification. His urologist orders the proprietary blood-based test 0609U (ClarityDX Prostate) to measure total and free PSA by immunoassay and to generate an algorithm-based probability score for clinically significant prostate cancer. Blood is drawn in an outpatient clinic or ambulatory lab; serum or plasma specimens are sent to the performing laboratory (Protean BioDiagnostics/Nanostics Inc.) under appropriate chain-of-custody and handling instructions. The laboratory performs the immunoassays, combines the assay results with the supplied clinical variables (for example age, prior biopsy history, family history), and reports a probability score to guide shared decision-making about the need for prostate biopsy, imaging, or continued surveillance. Typical sites of service include outpatient clinic, ambulatory surgical center laboratory draw station, or independent clinical laboratory where venipuncture and specimen transport occur.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use if billing physician reports the professional interpretation component separately (rare for PLA tests where lab performs assay and reporting). |