CPT 80327 Anabolic Steroid Testing Reimbursement | OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 80327: Anabolic Steroid Detection or Quantification

CPT code 80327 identifies a laboratory toxicology assay that measures or detects one or two anabolic steroids in a patient specimen. This test is used in clinical and forensic settings to identify use or exposure to synthetic androgenic agents and can inform clinical management, occupational testing, sports medicine, and compliance monitoring. Nationally, accurate coding for this specialized laboratory service affects claim processing, clinical documentation, and surveillance of performance and misuse trends.

Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of what the code represents, typical sites of service, and the clinical context for ordering this assay. The publication provides benchmarks and payer coverage context where available, notes common billing modifiers, and highlights coding considerations relevant to laboratories and billing professionals.

The piece is intended to help billing staff, laboratory managers, and policy analysts understand the clinical purpose and billing classification of CPT code 80327, how it fits within laboratory toxicology services, and what to expect in payer interactions and claims adjudication.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicare80327CPTtoxicologyanabolic steroidslaboratory testingdrug monitoringclinical laboratorybilling

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 80327 describes a laboratory test in which a lab analyst measures the amount of or detects the presence of one or two anabolic steroids — synthetic drugs related to the male sex hormone testosterone — in a patient specimen. This service is a toxicology/therapeutic drug monitoring assay focused on anabolic steroid detection and quantification.

Service type: Laboratory toxicology testing for anabolic steroids
Typical site of service: Clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory collection site

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 28-year-old male competitive athlete is referred by his team physician for urine testing after a performance enhancement screening flagged possible anabolic steroid use. The laboratory receives a spot urine specimen, logs patient identifiers, and performs specimen accessioning. The lab analyst conducts targeted mass spectrometry or immunoassay testing to detect and/or quantify one or two anabolic steroids or their metabolites. Results are reviewed by the laboratory director, documented in the laboratory information system, and a report is sent to the ordering clinician. Chain-of-custody procedures are used when testing is ordered for doping control or legal/forensic purposes. Typical sites of service include hospital outpatient laboratories, independent diagnostic laboratories, sports medicine clinics, occupational health clinics, and forensic/toxicology laboratories.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`00`	No modifier; standard reporting	Use when no additional modifier applies to the service.
`26`	Professional component	Use when billing only the professional interpretation/consultative portion if separated from the technical component.

CPT 80181: Flecainide Quantitative Serum Assay

CPT-80358-METHADONE-DETECTION-OR-QUANTIFICATION

CPT 80358: Methadone Detection or Quantification

CPT-80195-SIROLIMUS-QUANTITATION-THERAPEUTIC-DRUG-MONITORING

CPT 80195: Sirolimus Quantitation, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

CPT-80376-DRUG-TESTING-PANEL-4-TO-6-SUBSTANCES

CPT 80376: Definitive Drug Panel, Four to Six Substances

CPT-80179-SALICYLATE-SERUM-QUANTITATIVE-ASSAY

CPT 80179: Quantitative Salicylate (Aspirin) Serum Assay

CPT-80187-POSACONAZOLE-LEVEL-QUANTIFICATION

CPT 80187: Posaconazole Level Quantification

CPT-80210-RUFINAMIDE-THERAPEUTIC-DRUG-MONITORING

CPT 80210: Rufinamide Quantitative Assay

CPT-80199-TIAGABINE-LEVEL-TESTING

CPT 80199: Tiagabine Level Measurement

CPT-80186-FREE-PHENYTOIN-QUANTITATIVE-ASSAY

CPT 80186: Quantitative Assay for Free Phenytoin

CPT-80194-QUINIDINE-QUANTITATIVE-ASSAY

CPT 80194: Quinidine Quantitative Assay

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207RH0000X	Clinical Pathology	Pathologists who direct or interpret laboratory testing for toxicology and confirmatory analyses.
207L00000X	Anatomic and Clinical Pathology	Physicians performing oversight and interpretation of steroid assays.
208000000X	Family Medicine	Ordering clinicians in outpatient or sports medicine settings initiating testing.
2084P0206X	Sports Medicine	Team physicians and sports medicine specialists ordering performance-enhancing drug testing.
1744P0800X	Occupational Medicine	Occupational health clinicians ordering workplace or fitness-for-duty steroid testing.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`Z72.51`	Drug use, anabolic steroids	Direct indication for anabolic steroid testing when a history or concern for steroid use exists.
`F11.10`	Opioid abuse, uncomplicated	Included to illustrate co-testing scenarios for substance use disorders when poly-substance misuse is suspected.
`R78.89`	Other specified abnormal findings of blood chemistry	May be used when abnormal laboratory chemistry prompts targeted toxicology testing for steroids.
`R79.89`	Abnormal level of other endocrine function studies	Used when endocrine abnormalities prompt evaluation for exogenous anabolic steroid exposure.
`Z13.820`	Encounter for screening for drug use	Administrative code for screening encounters that may include anabolic steroid testing.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`80305`	Drug screen, presumptive, any number of drug classes by any method; 1–2 classes	May be used for initial broad presumptive screening for substances prior to or instead of targeted anabolic steroid testing.
`80306`	Drug screen, presumptive, any number of drug classes by any method; 3–8 classes	Used when a broader presumptive panel including additional drug classes is ordered alongside anabolic steroid testing.
`80307`	Drug screen, presumptive, any number of drug classes; 9–14 classes	Employed when an expanded presumptive screen is required by policy or investigation.
`80328`	Drug confirmation, one class—anabolic steroids (e.g., by mass spectrometry)	Often performed as a confirmatory test when `80327` detects anabolic steroids; provides definitive identification/quantification.
`81002`	Urinalysis, by dipstick or tablet reagent; non-automated, without microscopy	May be performed on the same specimen to assess specimen integrity or for baseline urinalysis parameters.
`99000`	Handling and/or conveyance of specimen for transfer from physician's office to a laboratory	Applied when specimen transport services are separately billable in certain settings.

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