Summary & Overview
CPT 82626: Dehydroepiandrosterone (Unconjugated) Serum Analysis
CPT code 82626 designates a laboratory assay for unconjugated dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) measured in serum to evaluate adrenal gland function and steroid precursor status. Nationally, the test matters for endocrinology, primary care, and inpatient teams managing adrenal disorders, hirsutism, early puberty, or other endocrine imbalances where DHEA contributes to diagnostic workups. The code identifies a discrete laboratory service used in both outpatient and hospital laboratory settings.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. These payers represent major national commercial carriers and the federal public program that together shape coverage patterns and payment policies for endocrine laboratory testing.
Readers will find a concise clinical context for when the assay is used, typical sites of service, and what clinicians aim to learn from the result. The publication also summarizes payer coverage scope and commonly encountered billing modifiers (listed separately), plus benchmarking and coding guidance where available. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 82626 describes a laboratory measurement of dehydroepiandrosterone (unconjugated DHEA), a steroid precursor involved in adrenal and gonadal hormone pathways. The test quantifies unconjugated DHEA levels in a serum specimen to help assess adrenal gland function and evaluate disorders of steroid metabolism.
Service Type: Clinical laboratory testing — endocrine/metabolic assay
Typical Site of Service: Clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory, with specimens collected in outpatient clinics or hospital phlebotomy units
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 34-year-old female presents to an endocrinology clinic with months of worsening fatigue, unexplained weight loss, orthostatic dizziness, and occasional salt cravings. The treating clinician suspects adrenal insufficiency or an adrenal steroidogenesis disorder and orders serum testing including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA, unconjugated) performed by the clinical laboratory. A phlebotomy technician collects a serum specimen, labels it per laboratory policy, and sends it to the chemistry/endocrine laboratory. The laboratory analyst performs 82626 to quantify unconjugated DHEA concentration to help assess adrenal androgen production. Results are reported to the ordering clinician, who integrates the value with other tests (e.g., cortisol, ACTH, DHEA-S) and clinical findings to evaluate adrenal function and guide further diagnostic steps or referral to an endocrinologist.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when the laboratory professional interpretation or professional component is billed separately from the technical component. |
TC | Technical component |