Summary & Overview
CPT 80151: Amiodarone Quantitative Serum Assay
CPT code 80151 identifies a laboratory assay that quantitatively measures amiodarone levels in a patient specimen, typically serum. This test is clinically important for monitoring therapeutic drug concentrations and detecting toxicity in patients treated with amiodarone, an antiarrhythmic used for life‑threatening arrhythmias. Nationally, such drug-level testing supports safe dosing and guides clinical decision making in cardiology and inpatient care.
Key payers referenced in the analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical context for amiodarone monitoring, common sites where the service is delivered, and the payer landscape covered. The publication summarizes typical billing considerations, common modifiers in use, and where available, reimbursement benchmarks and utilization notes. It also highlights policy and coverage themes relevant to laboratory drug monitoring services, such as coverage criteria and documentation expectations.
This piece is intended for laboratory administrators, billing professionals, and clinical leaders seeking a concise national overview of CPT code 80151, including the clinical rationale for testing and the payer environment affecting access and billing.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 80151 describes a quantitative laboratory test performed by a laboratory analyst to measure the level of amiodarone in a patient specimen, such as serum. Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic medication used to treat life–threatening arrhythmias, and this test supports therapeutic drug monitoring and toxicity assessment.
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Service type: Clinical laboratory service — quantitative drug assay
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Typical site of service: Clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory performing serum or plasma testing
Data not available in the input for payers, associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, related codes, and service line.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 68-year-old patient with a history of ventricular tachycardia on chronic therapy with amiodarone presents for routine therapeutic drug monitoring. The patient is seen in an outpatient cardiology clinic; a serum specimen is collected by phlebotomy and sent to the clinical laboratory. The laboratory analyst performs a quantitative assay for amiodarone concentration using validated methods (for example, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry). Results are reported to the ordering cardiologist and the electronic medical record to guide dose adjustments, assess adherence, and evaluate toxicity risk (pulmonary, hepatic, or thyroid). Typical workflow: order placed by cardiologist or electrophysiologist → specimen collection in clinic or outpatient draw station → specimen received and accessioned in the clinical lab → technical analysis performed by laboratory personnel → result verification and transmission to provider. Typical sites of service: outpatient hospital-based laboratory, independent clinical laboratory, or hospital inpatient laboratory when monitoring is done during admission for arrhythmia or suspected amiodarone toxicity.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when billing only the professional interpretation/consultative component if applicable (rare for quantitative drug assays when interpretation is separate). |