Summary & Overview
CPT 80076: Hepatic Function Panel (Liver Chemistry)
CPT code 80076 represents a hepatic function panel — a grouped set of serum chemistry tests measuring total protein, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, total and direct bilirubin, and liver enzymes. Nationwide, this panel is a common laboratory service used to evaluate liver function, monitor chronic liver disease, assess medication effects, and aid in diagnostic workups. It is frequently ordered in outpatient clinics, emergency departments, and inpatient settings, and it plays a central role in clinical decision making and care pathways.
Key payers in typical coverage discussions include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical and billing overview of the test, the typical sites where the service is provided, and which major payers are commonly engaged with coverage and reimbursement for routine hepatic function testing. The publication outlines operational considerations for laboratories and ordering clinicians, clarifies the clinical context in which the panel is used, and identifies where input was unavailable as provided data. Data not available in the input include specific payer policies, fee benchmarks, and associated ICD-10 diagnosis mappings.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 80076 describes a hepatic function panel performed by a laboratory analyst to measure blood levels of total protein, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin (total and direct), and liver enzymes. This panel provides a snapshot of liver synthetic function, cholestasis, and hepatocellular injury.
Service Type: Laboratory diagnostic test (chemistry panel)
Typical Site of Service: Clinical laboratory or hospital outpatient laboratory
Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 52-year-old outpatient with a history of chronic alcohol use and intermittent right upper quadrant pain presents to the primary care clinic for evaluation of fatigue and jaundice. The clinician orders a hepatic function panel to assess liver synthetic function and cholestasis. A phlebotomist obtains a venous blood specimen at the clinic lab; the specimen is transported to the laboratory where the lab analyst performs the hepatic function panel measuring total protein, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, total and direct bilirubin, and liver enzymes (AST, ALT). Results are reported to the ordering provider electronically; abnormal values prompt further workup such as hepatitis serologies, abdominal ultrasound, or referral to hepatology. Typical sites of service include outpatient clinics, hospital outpatient laboratories, and ambulatory surgery centers where routine preoperative or diagnostic liver testing is required.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when reporting only the professional (interpretation) component if applicable for lab tests that have a separate professional service. |
TC | Technical component | Use when reporting only the technical component (laboratory processing and equipment) if separated from the professional component. |