Summary & Overview
CPT 82143: Amniotic Fluid Bilirubin Spectrophotometry
CPT code 82143 designates a laboratory test that quantifies bilirubin in amniotic fluid using spectrophotometry. This measurement is clinically important for assessing fetal hemolysis and the severity of isoimmune hemolytic disease, which can guide obstetric and neonatal management decisions. Nationally, accurate coding and consistent use of this CPT code support appropriate lab reporting, clinical communication, and payer adjudication for perinatal diagnostic services.
Key payers discussed in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication outlines how the code is used across hospital and clinical laboratory settings and highlights typical billing considerations for laboratory-derived quantitative assays.
Readers will find benchmarks and contextual information on clinical application, typical sites of service, and common billing modifiers associated with lab services. The report also provides a concise clinical context explaining when amniotic fluid bilirubin testing is ordered and what the test result implies for fetal risk. Data not available in the input are noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 82143 describes a spectrophotometric quantitative analysis of bilirubin in amniotic fluid. The procedure involves a laboratory analyst measuring the presence and concentration of bilirubin using a spectrophotometer at a specific wavelength to assess fetal hemolysis or erythroblastosis fetalis.
Service type: Laboratory — quantitative spectrophotometric assay
Typical site of service: Clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 28-year-old pregnant patient at 34 weeks' gestation presents after a traumatic abdominal injury and suspected fetal-maternal hemorrhage. Obstetrics staff perform an amniocentesis to obtain amniotic fluid for evaluation of fetal status. The laboratory performs 82143 — spectrophotometric measurement of bilirubin in the amniotic fluid — to assess fetal hemolysis and the presence/amount of bilirubin as part of Rh isoimmunization workup or after suspected fetal bleeding. Typical workflow: the obstetrics team collects amniotic fluid in sterile tubes, labels specimens with patient identifiers and clinical indications, and transports them to the clinical laboratory. A clinical laboratory scientist or technologist prepares samples, runs spectrophotometric readings at the appropriate wavelength for bilirubin, documents absorbance values, calculates bilirubin concentration, interprets results in context of gestational age and clinical history, and reports findings to the ordering provider. Results inform obstetric management such as monitoring, intrauterine transfusion planning, or delivery timing.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when billing only the interpreting professional component of the laboratory result if separated from technical component. |