Summary & Overview
CPT 82271: Occult Blood Test in Nonfecal Specimens
Headline: CPT code 82271: Laboratory Test for Occult Blood in Nonfecal Specimens
Lead: CPT code 82271 captures the technical laboratory procedure to detect occult blood in nonfecal specimens via peroxidase activity. This code is used to report the laboratory analyst’s performance of the assay and is relevant across hospital and outpatient clinical laboratory settings.
CPT code 82271 represents a commonly billed clinical laboratory service that identifies trace amounts of blood in nonfecal bodily fluids by exploiting peroxidase activity. The test can be used in diverse diagnostic workflows where microscopic bleeding is suspected but not visually evident. Nationally, accurate coding for this test supports laboratory service reporting, claims adjudication, and clinical documentation.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Where payer-specific rules exist, they typically affect coverage criteria, specimen handling requirements, and documentation standards.
Readers will learn the clinical context and typical sites of service for this test, common billing and documentation considerations, and what information is available versus missing in the input. The publication summarizes the service type, typical laboratory setting, and relevant billing elements tied to CPT code 82271. Data not provided in the input—such as payer-specific reimbursement rates, associated taxonomies, and ICD-10 diagnoses—are noted as unavailable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 82271 describes a laboratory test for occult blood detection in nonfecal specimens using peroxidase activity. The service involves a laboratory analyst performing the technical component of the assay to detect small amounts of blood not visible to the naked eye.
Service Type: Clinical laboratory test (occult blood detection, nonfecal specimen)
Typical Site of Service: Clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 62-year-old outpatient presents to a hospital laboratory after referral from a primary care clinician for evaluation of unexplained anemia and suspected gastrointestinal blood loss. The clinician orders a laboratory test to detect occult blood in a nonfecal specimen (for example, gastric aspirate or other body fluid) to evaluate for small-volume bleeding not visible to the naked eye. A phlebotomist or nurse collects the nonfecal specimen and labels it; the specimen is transported to the clinical laboratory. A medical laboratory scientist/technologist performs the technical procedure using a peroxidase-based assay to detect occult hemoglobin activity in the specimen. The lab documents specimen receipt, test performed as CPT 82271, reagent lot, quality control results, and final technical test result. The result is reported to the ordering clinician to support further diagnostic evaluation (endoscopy, imaging, or serial laboratory monitoring) and to guide management of suspected occult bleeding.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when reporting only the physician interpretation of a lab test when applicable (rare for standalone technical lab tests). |
TC |