Summary & Overview
CPT 82308: Calcitonin Measurement in Serum or Plasma
CPT code 82308 denotes a laboratory assay measuring calcitonin in serum or plasma, a hormone produced by thyroid parafollicular cells. Nationally, this test serves as an important biomarker for detection and monitoring of calcitonin-secreting tumors, most notably medullary thyroid carcinoma, and informs diagnostic evaluation and surveillance pathways. Coverage and payment vary across public and commercial payers; common payers included in this overview are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare.
Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical purpose of CPT code 82308, common sites and service type, and the typical contexts in which calcitonin measurement is ordered. The publication summarizes payment benchmarks, billing considerations, and policy factors that affect coverage and utilization. Clinical context addresses indications for testing and how calcitonin levels are used in diagnostic workflows and tumor surveillance. Where input data is not provided, the report notes "Data not available in the input."
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 82308 measures calcitonin in serum or plasma. The test quantifies the polypeptide hormone produced by parafollicular (C) cells of the thyroid gland. Elevated calcitonin concentrations are used primarily as a biomarker for tumors of calcitonin-secreting thyroid cells, including medullary thyroid carcinoma and related neoplasms.
Service type: Laboratory quantitative immunoassay
Typical site of service: Clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 52-year-old patient with a history of multinodular thyroid enlargement and a rapidly rising neck mass presents to endocrinology with new hoarseness and unexplained weight loss. Thyroid ultrasound identifies a suspicious thyroid nodule and fine needle aspiration is indeterminate for medullary thyroid carcinoma. The clinician orders measurement of serum calcitonin to evaluate for a parafollicular C-cell neoplasm. Blood is drawn in an outpatient clinic or hospital phlebotomy lab and sent to the clinical chemistry laboratory. The laboratory performs 82308 (calcitonin, immunoassay) on serum; results are reported to the ordering physician and documented in the electronic health record. Typical sites of service include outpatient clinic laboratories, hospital central laboratories, and reference/contracted clinical laboratories. The clinical workflow includes specimen collection, labeling, transport under appropriate conditions, accessioning, analysis by the laboratory analyzer, result verification by a qualified technologist and/or pathologist, and electronic reporting to the provider for diagnostic correlation and management planning.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when reporting only the professional interpretation/reading portion when applicable (rare for automated immunoassays but applicable if a pathologist provides interpretive consultation). |