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    v1.0.30
    OpenPayerBilling CodesUrinalysis ProceduresCPT cpt-81003-automated-urine-dipstick-analysis
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    CPT 81003: Automated Urinalysis Dipstick with Instrumented Reader

    CPT code 81003 describes automated chemical analysis of a freshly collected urine specimen performed by inserting a dipstick, removing excess urine, and placing the stick into a mechanical dipstick reader that automatically measures and records chemical analytes and constituents such as leukocytes, pH, and specific gravity; service type: automated urinalysis (dipstick) with instrumented reader; typical site of service: clinical laboratory or outpatient collection site.

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Vafseo (vadadustat) for anemia in CKD on dialysis, Metabolic Disorders - Cysteamine (Oral) Products for Individual and Family Plans, Kerendia (finerenone) — Coverage Criteria.

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    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A typical patient scenario involves an adult or pediatric patient presenting to an outpatient clinic, urgent care, emergency department, or clinical laboratory with symptoms suggesting a urinary tract process or as part of routine screening. A clinician orders a routine urinalysis to evaluate symptoms such as dysuria, urinary frequency, urgency, flank pain, fever, or to monitor chronic conditions (for example, diabetes or kidney disease). A clean-catch midstream urine specimen is collected and promptly delivered to the laboratory. The laboratory analyst places a chemically treated dipstick into the freshly collected specimen, removes and shakes the excess urine, then inserts the dipstick into an automated mechanical dipstick reader. The reader automatically analyzes and records chemical analytes and constituents such as leukocyte esterase, nitrite, pH, specific gravity, protein, glucose, ketones, and blood. Results are entered into the laboratory information system and transmitted to the ordering provider for clinical interpretation. Typical site of service includes outpatient clinic laboratories, hospital clinical laboratories, urgent care centers, and emergency departments. The service type is a laboratory automated urinalysis (dipstick) performed by a laboratory technologist or technician using a mechanical reader. Typical patient scenarios include: a woman with dysuria and urinary frequency evaluated for urinary tract infection; a diabetic patient undergoing routine urinalysis for glycosuria and protein monitoring; a patient with suspected dehydration evaluated for specific gravity and pH changes; or preoperative screening in an ambulatory surgery setting.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    81002Urinalysis, by dip stick or tablet reagent for bilirubin, glucose, hemoglobin, ketones, leukocytes, nitrite, pH, protein, specific gravity, any number of tests; non-automated, without microscopyPerformed when a manual dipstick reading is done instead of an automated mechanical reader; alternative to 81003.
    81025Urine pregnancy test, by visual color comparison methods (e.g., reagent strip)Often ordered alongside urinalysis in women of childbearing potential to assess pregnancy-related considerations.
    81007Urinalysis, by dipstick or tablet reagent, with microscopyPerformed when dipstick results require microscopic examination of urine sediment (RBCs, WBCs, casts, crystals).
    87086Culture, bacterial; urine, quantitative, colony countPerformed following abnormal dipstick suggestive of infection to identify organism and sensitivities.
    82565Urine albumin; microalbumin, quantitativePerformed when dipstick indicates proteinuria or in diabetic/kidney disease monitoring as a more sensitive test.
    80047Basic metabolic panel (BMP)Often ordered in conjunction with urinalysis for systemic assessment (electrolytes, renal function) in symptomatic patients.

    Related Modifiers

    8 rows

    ModifierDescriptionWhen to Use
    26Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical…- Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a…
    52Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
    59Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
    76Modifier -76, Repeat Procedure or Service by Same Physician or Other Qualified Health Care Professional, is appended when the same provider performs an identical, medically necessary procedure or…- Use modifier -76 when the same physician or other qualified health care professional performs an identical procedure or service a second (or subsequent) time on the same date of service and the…
    77Modifier 77 indicates that a previously performed procedure or service was legitimately repeated by a different physician or other qualified health care professional. The AMA’s CPT definition…- Use modifier 77 when a basic procedure or service already performed is repeated by a different physician or other qualified health care professional (for example, a second provider independently…
    90Modifier ‑90 (Reference/Outside Laboratory) indicates that a laboratory test was performed by an entity other than the treating or reporting provider. The American Medical Association defines…- Use CPT modifier -90 when a laboratory test is performed by an outside/reference laboratory (an entity other than the treating or reporting physician or qualified professional) and the claim needs…
    91Modifier 91 — “Repeat Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Test” — is appended when the exact same CPT laboratory test is performed more than once for the same patient on the same day because serial,…- Use modifier 91 when the exact same CPT laboratory test is performed more than once on the same patient on the same date because serial or repeated testing is medically necessary to monitor…
    95Modifier 95 indicates that a service was provided via synchronous, real‑time audio‑video telehealth rather than in‑person. Per CMS, AAPC and professional associations, append modifier 95 to claim…- Use modifier 95 to indicate a service was furnished via synchronous, real‑time audiovisual telehealth (a live audio‑video conference between patient and provider) rather than in‑person. - Pair…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy Code
    207Q00000X
    208D00000X
    207L00000X
    1223G0001X
    207YX0905X
    111NR0200X
    204F00000X
    207NI0002X

    Related ICD-10-CM Codes

    25 rows

    ICD-10-CM CodeDescription
    A49.9Bacterial infection, unspecified
    E08.22Diabetes mellitus due to underlying condition with diabetic chronic kidney disease
    E11.22Type 2 diabetes mellitus with diabetic chronic kidney disease
    E11.29Type 2 diabetes mellitus with other diabetic kidney complication
    E83.42Hypomagnesemia
    N04.9Nephrotic syndrome with unspecified morphologic changes
    N10Acute pyelonephritis
    N11.9Chronic tubulo-interstitial nephritis, unspecified
    N18.9Chronic kidney disease, unspecified
    N20.0Calculus of kidney

    Showing 1–10 of 25

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: Nephrology1 / 3

    10 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Vafseo (vadadustat) for anemia in CKD on dialysisCigna2026-08-15
    Metabolic Disorders - Cysteamine (Oral) Products for Individual and Family PlansCigna2026-08-15
    Kerendia (finerenone) — Coverage CriteriaBlue Cross Blue Shield - Iowa2026-08-05
    Voyxact (sibeprenlimab-szsl) — Prior authorization / medical necessity for primary IgA nephropathyColorado Rocky Mountain Health Plans2026-08-01
    Oxlumo (lumasiran) and Rivfloza (nedosiran) — Coverage Criteria (Ohio)Colorado Rocky Mountain Health Plans2026-08-01
    Korsuva (difelikefalin) — Medical Benefit Drug Coverage Criteria (Ohio)Colorado Rocky Mountain Health Plans2026-08-01
    Complement Inhibitors - EmpaveliCigna2026-08-01
    Tolvaptan (Jynarque)Cigna2026-08-01
    Nephrology - Filspari (sparsentan) coverageCigna2026-08-01
    Rivfloza (nedosiran) prior authorization for PH1UnitedHealthcare2026-08-01

    Related Codes

    CPT-81000-URINALYSIS-DIP-STICK-AND-MICROSCOPIC-EXAM

    CPT 81000: Manual Urinalysis with Microscopy

    CPT-81001-URINALYSIS-DIPSTICK-OR-TABLET-REAGENT

    CPT 81001: Urinalysis by Dipstick or Tablet Reagent

    CPT-81002-MANUAL-URINALYSIS-REAGENT-STRIP-TABLET

    CPT 81002: Manual Urine Dipstick Chemical Analysis

    CPT-81005-URINE-ANALYTE-QUALITATIVE-SEMIQUANTITATIVE

    CPT 81005: Urine Qualitative or Semiquantitative Analyte Test

    CPT-81007-URINE-BACTERIURIA-NONCULTURE-NONDIPSTICK-TEST

    CPT 81007: Nonculture, Nondipstick Urinalysis for Bacteriuria

    CPT-81015-MICROSCOPIC-URINALYSIS-LABORATORY-EXAMINATION

    CPT 81015: Microscopic Urinalysis, Sediment Examination

    CPT-81020-MICROSCOPIC-URINALYSIS-MULTIPLE-GLASS-COLLECTIONS

    CPT 81020: Microscopic Urine Examination of Multiple Specimens

    CPT-81025-URINE-PREGNANCY-TEST-VISUAL-READ

    CPT 81025: Urine Pregnancy Test, Analyst-Read Visual

    CPT-81050-TIMED-URINE-COLLECTION-VOLUME-MEASUREMENT

    CPT 81050: Timed Urine Volume Measurement

    CPT-81099-UNLISTED-URINE-PROCEDURE

    CPT 81099: Unlisted Urine Procedure

    Frequently Asked Questions

    References

    1. 1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
    2. 2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
    3. 3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.
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