Summary & Overview
CPT 82397: Chemiluminescent Laboratory Analysis
CPT code 82397 identifies a technical laboratory procedure that uses chemiluminescence to detect and quantify analytes in patient specimens. As a lab technical component code, it captures hands-on analytic processing and instrument measurement performed by laboratory personnel. Nationally, this code matters because chemiluminescent immunoassays and related luminescence-based tests are widely used for diagnostic screening, monitoring, and therapeutic drug measurement across outpatient and inpatient settings.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication outlines where CPT code 82397 is typically billed, common billing modifiers associated with laboratory technical services, and the clinical contexts that commonly drive use of chemiluminescent assays.
Readers will learn: a concise definition of the procedure and service setting; which major payers recognize and reimburse this technical lab code; common modifiers used with technical laboratory components; and the clinical scenarios in which chemiluminescent testing is most often applied. Data not present in the source input (such as specific reimbursement rates, associated taxonomies, or linked ICD-10 diagnoses) is noted as unavailable. This national-level overview is intended to clarify coding intent and typical usage for payers, laboratory administrators, and billing professionals.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 82397 describes a technical laboratory test using chemiluminescence in which a lab analyst mixes reagents with a specimen to produce luminescence and then measures and quantifies the target analyte. The procedure represents the technical component of an immunoassay or other chemiluminescent analytical method performed on clinical specimens.
Service type: Laboratory — technical component (chemiluminescent immunoassay/analytical testing)
Typical site of service: Clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory
Data not available in the input.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 58-year-old outpatient with a history of suspected endocrine or metabolic disorder presents to an ambulatory laboratory for blood testing ordered by their primary care physician. A serum sample is collected via venipuncture and transported to the clinical laboratory. The laboratory technologist performs a chemiluminescent immunoassay to quantify a specific analyte (for example, thyroid-stimulating hormone, vitamin D, or a drug level) by adding reagents that induce luminescence in the presence of the target analyte. The analyzer measures emitted light and the technologist verifies calibration, controls, and assay performance before reporting a quantitative result into the laboratory information system. Results are routed to the ordering clinician for interpretation and clinical decision-making. Typical sites of service include hospital outpatient laboratories, independent reference laboratories, and ambulatory phlebotomy centers. The service type is a clinical laboratory technical service performed by a medical laboratory scientist or technologist under the laboratory’s CLIA certification.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when reporting only the professional (interpretive) component provided by a physician or qualified practitioner. |
TC |