CPT 82746: Serum Folic Acid (Folate) Level Quantitative

CPT code 82746 reports a quantitative serum folic acid (folate) level measurement used to evaluate folate deficiency related to malabsorption conditions such as Crohn’s disease, celiac sprue, or post-bariatric surgery; this is a laboratory clinical pathology service typically performed on serum collected in an outpatient laboratory or hospital laboratory setting.

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CPT 82746: Serum Folic Acid (Folate) Level Quantitative

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 58-year-old female with a history of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and chronic diarrhea presents to her primary care provider with progressive fatigue, pallor, and mild shortness of breath. The clinician documents concern for nutritional deficiency and orders laboratory evaluation, including measurement of serum folic acid level to evaluate for folate deficiency that may contribute to macrocytic or mixed anemia. The patient has blood drawn in the outpatient lab (phlebotomy) and the specimen is sent to the clinical chemistry laboratory. The laboratory analyst performs quantitative measurement of serum folic acid using an immunoassay or microbiologic assay. Results are reviewed by the ordering clinician and used alongside complete blood count, vitamin B12 level, and clinical history to determine if folic acid supplementation or further evaluation for malabsorption (for example, celiac disease or small bowel bacterial overgrowth) is indicated. Typical site of service: outpatient clinic or hospital outpatient laboratory. Service type: clinical laboratory test — quantitative serum folate measurement (82746).

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`80048`	Basic metabolic panel	Common concurrent lab panel ordered in evaluation of fatigue and general metabolic status with folate testing.
`80053`	Comprehensive metabolic panel	Broader metabolic assessment often ordered alongside nutritional tests including folate.
`85025`	Complete blood count with automated differential	Core test to evaluate anemia and red cell indices that prompt folate measurement.
`82607`	Vitamin B12; cyanocobalamin (e.g., assay)	Frequently ordered with folate to differentiate causes of macrocytic anemia.
`83090`	Hemoglobin; glycosylated (A1c)	Ordered in workup when diabetes or glycemic status may affect nutritional status; often part of baseline labs.
`82770`	Assay of folate, red blood cell (RBC)	Measured when assessment of tissue folate stores is needed complementary to serum folate (`82746`).

Related Modifiers

5 rows

Modifier	Description	When to Use
26	Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical…	- Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a…
59	Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…	- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
90	Modifier ‑90 (Reference/Outside Laboratory) indicates that a laboratory test was performed by an entity other than the treating or reporting provider. The American Medical Association defines…	- Use CPT modifier -90 when a laboratory test is performed by an outside/reference laboratory (an entity other than the treating or reporting physician or qualified professional) and the claim needs…
91	Modifier 91 — “Repeat Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Test” — is appended when the exact same CPT laboratory test is performed more than once for the same patient on the same day because serial,…	- Use modifier 91 when the exact same CPT laboratory test is performed more than once on the same patient on the same date because serial or repeated testing is medically necessary to monitor…
3P	The CPT Category II modifier -3P denotes a performance‑measure exclusion when a required quality action was not performed because of system‑level constraints. It is appended only to Category II…	- When to apply: Use CPT Category II modifier 3P only with Category II (‘‘F’’) codes when a specific quality measure’s specifications allow a system‑level exclusion — append 3P to indicate the…

Related Provider Taxonomies

8 rows

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207RG0100X	Gastroenterology Physician	An internist who specializes in diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the digestive organs including the stomach, bowels, liver and gallbladder. This…
207RH0000X	Hematology (Internal Medicine) Physician	An internist with additional training who specializes in diseases of the blood, spleen and lymph. This specialist treats conditions such as anemia, cl…
207RC0000X	Cardiovascular Disease Physician	An internist who specializes in diseases of the heart and blood vessels and manages complex cardiac conditions such as heart attacks and life-threaten…
208D00000X	General Practice Physician	A physician who specializes in the general practice of diagnosing, treating, and managing patients with a variety of illnesses and conditions.
101Y00000X	Counselor	A provider who is trained and educated in the performance of behavior health services through interpersonal communications and analysis. Training and …
156FX1101X	Ophthalmic Assistant	An ophthalmic assistant assists ophthalmologists by performing duties including, but not limited to, patient charting, patient education, and basic ey…
2251S0007X	Sports Physical Therapist	A licensed physical therapist, including but not limited to an individual who is a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy, who has demo…
225XM0800X	Mental Health Occupational Therapist	Occupational therapists provide treatment for people recovering from a mental or physical illness to regain their independence and stability and to en…

CPT 82009: Qualitative Ketone Bodies Test

CPT-82010-QUANTITATIVE-KETONE-BODIES-ASSAY-SERUM-PLASMA

CPT 82010: Quantitative Ketone Bodies in Serum or Plasma

CPT-82013-ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE-QUANTITATIVE-ASSAY

CPT 82013: Quantitative Acetylcholinesterase (Acetylhydrolase) Assay

CPT-82016-QUALITATIVE-ACYLCARNITINES-METABOLIC-SCREEN

CPT 82016: Qualitative Acylcarnitines, Plasma/Serum/Urine

CPT-82017-QUANTITATIVE-ACYLCARNITINE-ANALYSIS

CPT 82017: Quantitative Acylcarnitine Analysis

CPT-82024-QUANTITATIVE-CORTICOTROPIN-ACTH-ASSAY

CPT 82024: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) Quantitative Assay

CPT-82030-QUANTITATIVE-CAMP-PLASMA-URINE-ASSAY

CPT 82030: Quantitative cyclic AMP assay on plasma or urine

CPT-82040-QUANTITATIVE-ALBUMIN-MEASUREMENT

CPT 82040: Quantitative Albumin Measurement

CPT-82042-QUANTITATIVE-ALBUMIN-NONBLOOD-FLUID

CPT 82042: Albumin Quantitation in Non-Blood Body Fluid

CPT-82043-URINE-ALBUMIN-QUANTITATION-KIDNEY-DISEASE

CPT 82043: Urine Albumin Quantitative Assay

Showing 1–10 of 411

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

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Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`80048`	Basic metabolic panel	Common concurrent lab panel ordered in evaluation of fatigue and general metabolic status with folate testing.
`80053`	Comprehensive metabolic panel	Broader metabolic assessment often ordered alongside nutritional tests including folate.
`85025`	Complete blood count with automated differential	Core test to evaluate anemia and red cell indices that prompt folate measurement.
`82607`	Vitamin B12; cyanocobalamin (e.g., assay)	Frequently ordered with folate to differentiate causes of macrocytic anemia.
`83090`	Hemoglobin; glycosylated (A1c)	Ordered in workup when diabetes or glycemic status may affect nutritional status; often part of baseline labs.
`82770`	Assay of folate, red blood cell (RBC)	Measured when assessment of tissue folate stores is needed complementary to serum folate (`82746`).

Related Modifiers

5 rows

Modifier	Description	When to Use
26	Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical…	- Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a…
59	Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…	- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
90	Modifier ‑90 (Reference/Outside Laboratory) indicates that a laboratory test was performed by an entity other than the treating or reporting provider. The American Medical Association defines…	- Use CPT modifier -90 when a laboratory test is performed by an outside/reference laboratory (an entity other than the treating or reporting physician or qualified professional) and the claim needs…
91	Modifier 91 — “Repeat Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Test” — is appended when the exact same CPT laboratory test is performed more than once for the same patient on the same day because serial,…	- Use modifier 91 when the exact same CPT laboratory test is performed more than once on the same patient on the same date because serial or repeated testing is medically necessary to monitor…
3P	The CPT Category II modifier -3P denotes a performance‑measure exclusion when a required quality action was not performed because of system‑level constraints. It is appended only to Category II…	- When to apply: Use CPT Category II modifier 3P only with Category II (‘‘F’’) codes when a specific quality measure’s specifications allow a system‑level exclusion — append 3P to indicate the…

Related Provider Taxonomies

8 rows

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207RG0100X	Gastroenterology Physician	An internist who specializes in diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the digestive organs including the stomach, bowels, liver and gallbladder. This…
207RH0000X	Hematology (Internal Medicine) Physician	An internist with additional training who specializes in diseases of the blood, spleen and lymph. This specialist treats conditions such as anemia, cl…
207RC0000X	Cardiovascular Disease Physician	An internist who specializes in diseases of the heart and blood vessels and manages complex cardiac conditions such as heart attacks and life-threaten…
208D00000X	General Practice Physician	A physician who specializes in the general practice of diagnosing, treating, and managing patients with a variety of illnesses and conditions.
101Y00000X	Counselor	A provider who is trained and educated in the performance of behavior health services through interpersonal communications and analysis. Training and …
156FX1101X	Ophthalmic Assistant	An ophthalmic assistant assists ophthalmologists by performing duties including, but not limited to, patient charting, patient education, and basic ey…
2251S0007X	Sports Physical Therapist	A licensed physical therapist, including but not limited to an individual who is a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy, who has demo…
225XM0800X	Mental Health Occupational Therapist	Occupational therapists provide treatment for people recovering from a mental or physical illness to regain their independence and stability and to en…

CPT 82009: Qualitative Ketone Bodies Test

CPT-82010-QUANTITATIVE-KETONE-BODIES-ASSAY-SERUM-PLASMA

CPT 82010: Quantitative Ketone Bodies in Serum or Plasma

CPT-82013-ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE-QUANTITATIVE-ASSAY

CPT 82013: Quantitative Acetylcholinesterase (Acetylhydrolase) Assay

CPT-82016-QUALITATIVE-ACYLCARNITINES-METABOLIC-SCREEN

CPT 82016: Qualitative Acylcarnitines, Plasma/Serum/Urine

CPT-82017-QUANTITATIVE-ACYLCARNITINE-ANALYSIS

CPT 82017: Quantitative Acylcarnitine Analysis

CPT-82024-QUANTITATIVE-CORTICOTROPIN-ACTH-ASSAY

CPT 82024: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) Quantitative Assay

CPT-82030-QUANTITATIVE-CAMP-PLASMA-URINE-ASSAY

CPT 82030: Quantitative cyclic AMP assay on plasma or urine

CPT-82040-QUANTITATIVE-ALBUMIN-MEASUREMENT

CPT 82040: Quantitative Albumin Measurement

CPT-82042-QUANTITATIVE-ALBUMIN-NONBLOOD-FLUID

CPT 82042: Albumin Quantitation in Non-Blood Body Fluid

CPT-82043-URINE-ALBUMIN-QUANTITATION-KIDNEY-DISEASE

CPT 82043: Urine Albumin Quantitative Assay

Showing 1–10 of 411

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

OpenPayer

CPT 82746: Serum Folic Acid (Folate) Level Quantitative

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OpenPayer

CPT 82746: Serum Folic Acid (Folate) Level Quantitative

Sign up for cpt 82746 policy alerts

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Codes

References

CPT 82746: Serum Folic Acid (Folate) Level Quantitative

Sign up for cpt 82746 policy alerts

CPT 82746: Serum Folic Acid (Folate) Level Quantitative

Sign up for cpt 82746 policy alerts

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Codes

What does CPT 82746 represent and when is it typically ordered?

Where is the serum folate test (82746) usually performed and processed?

Which billing modifiers are commonly used with CPT 82746 and when would they apply?

What other laboratory tests are frequently ordered alongside CPT 82746?

Which payers are referenced for coverage considerations and does the page provide reimbursement rates?

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Codes

What does CPT 82746 represent and when is it typically ordered?

Where is the serum folate test (82746) usually performed and processed?

Which billing modifiers are commonly used with CPT 82746 and when would they apply?

What other laboratory tests are frequently ordered alongside CPT 82746?

Which payers are referenced for coverage considerations and does the page provide reimbursement rates?

References