Summary & Overview
CPT 82945: Glucose Measurement in Non-Blood Body Fluids
CPT code 82945 denotes a laboratory glucose assay performed on non-blood specimens — for example cerebrospinal fluid, urine, joint fluid, or other body cavity fluids. Nationally, this test is important for diagnosing and monitoring conditions where glucose in specialized fluids provides clinical insight, such as meningitis evaluation, effusions, and metabolic disturbances. It is a routine diagnostic chemistry procedure used across acute and ambulatory care settings and hospital laboratories.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication outlines payer coverage patterns, billing and coding considerations, and common clinical contexts for ordering the test.
Readers will learn the clinical purpose of the code, typical sites of service, common billing modifiers (listed separately), and how the test fits into diagnostic workflows. The report also summarizes available benchmarks and utility for clinical decision-making. Data not available in the input is indicated where relevant; no state-specific policy differences are addressed, as the focus is national.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 82945 describes a glucose measurement performed on non-blood fluid specimens, including spinal fluid, urine, synovial (joint) fluid, and other body cavity fluids such as peritoneal or pleural fluid. The procedure captures laboratory analytic measurement of glucose concentration in these alternative specimen types to support diagnosis, monitoring, or management of metabolic, infectious, or neurologic conditions.
Service Type: Clinical laboratory chemistry test (glucose assay on non-blood specimens)
Typical Site of Service: Clinical laboratory, hospital laboratory, outpatient laboratory, or other settings where body cavity or specialized fluid specimens are collected and analyzed
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 62-year-old hospitalized patient with a history of congestive heart failure and diabetes develops increasing shortness of breath and fever. The treating team performs diagnostic thoracentesis to evaluate a new pleural effusion. The collected pleural fluid is sent to the clinical laboratory where the technologist measures glucose concentration to assist differentiation between uncomplicated transudative effusion, complicated parapneumonic effusion/empyema, or malignant effusion. The laboratory documents specimen source (pleural fluid), specimen condition, time received, and analytic method. The result is entered into the electronic health record and reported to the ordering clinician for integration with cell count, Gram stain, culture, pH, and biochemical markers to guide management.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when only the physician professional component of interpretation or consultation is billed separate from the technical component. |
59 | Distinct procedural service | Use when glucose testing is performed on a different anatomical site or a separate, distinct procedure is performed the same day. |