Summary & Overview
CPT 82045: Ischemic Modified Albumin Assay for Acute Chest Pain
CPT code 82045 represents an assay for ischemic modified albumin, a highly sensitive laboratory test used in the rapid evaluation of patients with acute chest pain to detect myocardial ischemia, including myocardial infarction and unstable angina. Nationally, this test matters because rapid, accurate triage in emergency settings can influence diagnostic pathways, resource use, and time-sensitive clinical decisions.
Key payers considered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the code's clinical purpose and service context, an overview of common modifiers and billing considerations, and what typical sites of service are for this laboratory assay. The publication summarizes benchmarking and coverage themes relevant to commercial and federal payers, highlights clinical context for emergency department and outpatient laboratory use, and notes whether data elements are available for associated taxonomies, ICD-10 mappings, and related codes.
This executive summary prepares clinicians, billing professionals, and policy staff to understand where CPT code 82045 fits within cardiac diagnostic workflows, which payers commonly cover such testing, and which operational settings most frequently use the test. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable in the full content.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 82045 measures ischemic modified albumin, a biomarker used to detect myocardial ischemia. The test is described as a highly sensitive assay intended for patients presenting with acute chest pain who require a rapid evaluation for myocardial infarction or unstable angina.
Service Type: Clinical laboratory diagnostic test
Typical Site of Service: Hospital emergency department or outpatient laboratory setting for rapid evaluation of chest pain
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 58-year-old male presents to the emergency department with acute onset substernal chest pain radiating to the left arm and diaphoresis beginning one hour earlier. Triage staff obtain triage vitals and an electrocardiogram; the ECG is non-diagnostic for ST-elevation myocardial infarction. The treating emergency physician orders rapid cardiac biomarkers, including an ischemia-modified albumin assay (82045), troponin I or T, and creatine kinase-MB to evaluate for acute coronary syndrome. Blood is drawn at bedside, sent to the hospital laboratory with a priority STAT label, and the laboratory runs an 82045 ischemia-modified albumin test with result reporting to the electronic medical record. Results are used in conjunction with clinical assessment, serial ECGs, and other lab results to determine need for observation, further imaging, or cardiology consultation.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
11 | Primary procedure | When 82045 is the main service performed during the encounter |