CPT 83540: Quantitative Serum Iron Measurement

CPT code 83540 reports a laboratory quantitative serum iron measurement performed by a clinical laboratory analyst to determine circulating iron levels; service type: clinical laboratory test, typical site of service: clinical laboratory or hospital lab/ambulatory phlebotomy.

For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Salivary Hormone Testing, Parathyroid Hormone, Phosphorus, Calcium, and Magnesium Testing, Bone Turnover Markers Testing.

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CPT 83540: Quantitative Serum Iron Measurement

For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Salivary Hormone Testing, Parathyroid Hormone, Phosphorus, Calcium, and Magnesium Testing, Bone Turnover Markers Testing.

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for cpt 83540 policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing 83540 are released or updated.

Monitor payer policy activity

Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient is a 45-year-old adult presenting to an outpatient clinic with fatigue, pallor, or symptoms suggestive of iron deficiency or iron overload. The clinician orders a serum iron test to quantify circulating iron as part of an iron panel (often with TIBC, ferritin, and transferrin saturation) to evaluate anemia, suspected hemochromatosis, chronic blood loss, or monitoring iron therapy. The patient proceeds to a phlebotomy station in the same ambulatory clinic, hospital outpatient laboratory, or independent clinical laboratory. A trained phlebotomist collects a blood specimen (usually venous), the specimen is sent to the clinical laboratory, and a medical laboratory scientist or technologist performs the assay to measure serum iron concentration. Results are reported to the ordering provider and used to guide diagnosis, further testing, or management, such as additional iron studies, imaging, or referral to hematology.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`83550`	Ferritin; serum	Commonly ordered alongside serum iron to assess iron stores and help distinguish iron deficiency from anemia of chronic disease.
`84466`	Immunoassay for ferritin	Alternative ferritin methodology often run together with iron studies in the laboratory panel.
`84300`	Hemoglobin; quantitative	Performed in the same diagnostic workup for anemia evaluation to correlate iron measurements with hemoglobin status.
`84480`	Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)	Often ordered in general fatigue workups to evaluate alternative causes of symptoms alongside iron studies.
`85025`	Complete blood count (CBC) with automated differential	Frequently ordered before or with serum iron to evaluate red cell indices and guide interpretation of iron results.

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…
52	Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…	- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…

Related Provider Taxonomies

8 rows

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207R00000X	Internal Medicine Physician	A physician who provides long-term, comprehensive care in the office and the hospital, managing both common and complex illness of adolescents, adults…
363L00000X	Nurse Practitioner	(1) A registered nurse provider with a graduate degree in nursing prepared for advanced practice involving independent and interdependent decision mak…
207K00000X	Allergy & Immunology Physician	An allergist-immunologist is trained in evaluation, physical and laboratory diagnosis, and management of disorders involving the immune system. Select…
207LP2900X	Pain Medicine (Anesthesiology) Physician	An anesthesiologist who provides a high level of care, either as a primary physician or consultant, for patients experiencing problems with acute, chr…
2472R0900X	Renal Dialysis Technician	Technologists, Technicians & Other Technical Service Providers · Technician, Other
315D00000X	Inpatient Hospice	A provider organization, or distinct part of the organization, which renders an interdisciplinary program providing palliative care, chiefly medical r…
221700000X	Art Therapist	(1) An individual who uses art to achieve the therapeutic goals of symptom relief, emotional integration, and recovery from or adjustment to illness o…
261QR1100X	Research Clinic/Center	Ambulatory Health Care Facilities · Clinic/Center

Related Payer Policy Updates

Specialty: Endocrinology1 / 3

10 rows

Policy	Payer	Effective Date
Salivary Hormone Testing	Oscar Health	2026-10-01
Parathyroid Hormone, Phosphorus, Calcium, and Magnesium Testing	Oscar Health	2026-10-01
Bone Turnover Markers Testing	Oscar Health	2026-10-01
Testosterone — Coverage Criteria for Measurement and Monitoring	Oscar Health	2026-10-01
Thyroid Disease Testing	Oscar Health	2026-10-01
Diabetes Mellitus Testing — Coverage Criteria	Oscar Health	2026-10-01
Thyroid Disease Testing	blue cross blue shield - louisiana	2026-09-15
Thyroid Disease Testing	Blue Cross Blue Shield - New Mexico	2026-09-04
Parathyroid Hormone, Phosphorous, Calcium and Magnesium Testing	Blue Cross Blue Shield - New Mexico	2026-09-04
Testosterone laboratory testing and measurement (coverage criteria)	Premera Bluecross	2026-09-04

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.

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.

Explore openpayer tools

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`83550`	Ferritin; serum	Commonly ordered alongside serum iron to assess iron stores and help distinguish iron deficiency from anemia of chronic disease.
`84466`	Immunoassay for ferritin	Alternative ferritin methodology often run together with iron studies in the laboratory panel.
`84300`	Hemoglobin; quantitative	Performed in the same diagnostic workup for anemia evaluation to correlate iron measurements with hemoglobin status.
`84480`	Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)	Often ordered in general fatigue workups to evaluate alternative causes of symptoms alongside iron studies.
`85025`	Complete blood count (CBC) with automated differential	Frequently ordered before or with serum iron to evaluate red cell indices and guide interpretation of iron results.

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…
52	Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…	- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…

Related Provider Taxonomies

8 rows

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207R00000X	Internal Medicine Physician	A physician who provides long-term, comprehensive care in the office and the hospital, managing both common and complex illness of adolescents, adults…
363L00000X	Nurse Practitioner	(1) A registered nurse provider with a graduate degree in nursing prepared for advanced practice involving independent and interdependent decision mak…
207K00000X	Allergy & Immunology Physician	An allergist-immunologist is trained in evaluation, physical and laboratory diagnosis, and management of disorders involving the immune system. Select…
207LP2900X	Pain Medicine (Anesthesiology) Physician	An anesthesiologist who provides a high level of care, either as a primary physician or consultant, for patients experiencing problems with acute, chr…
2472R0900X	Renal Dialysis Technician	Technologists, Technicians & Other Technical Service Providers · Technician, Other
315D00000X	Inpatient Hospice	A provider organization, or distinct part of the organization, which renders an interdisciplinary program providing palliative care, chiefly medical r…
221700000X	Art Therapist	(1) An individual who uses art to achieve the therapeutic goals of symptom relief, emotional integration, and recovery from or adjustment to illness o…
261QR1100X	Research Clinic/Center	Ambulatory Health Care Facilities · Clinic/Center

Related Payer Policy Updates

Specialty: Endocrinology1 / 3

10 rows

Policy	Payer	Effective Date
Salivary Hormone Testing	Oscar Health	2026-10-01
Parathyroid Hormone, Phosphorus, Calcium, and Magnesium Testing	Oscar Health	2026-10-01
Bone Turnover Markers Testing	Oscar Health	2026-10-01
Testosterone — Coverage Criteria for Measurement and Monitoring	Oscar Health	2026-10-01
Thyroid Disease Testing	Oscar Health	2026-10-01
Diabetes Mellitus Testing — Coverage Criteria	Oscar Health	2026-10-01
Thyroid Disease Testing	blue cross blue shield - louisiana	2026-09-15
Thyroid Disease Testing	Blue Cross Blue Shield - New Mexico	2026-09-04
Parathyroid Hormone, Phosphorous, Calcium and Magnesium Testing	Blue Cross Blue Shield - New Mexico	2026-09-04
Testosterone laboratory testing and measurement (coverage criteria)	Premera Bluecross	2026-09-04

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 83540: Quantitative Serum Iron Measurement

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OpenPayer

CPT 83540: Quantitative Serum Iron Measurement

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Payer Policy Updates

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Payer Policy Updates

Related Codes

References

CPT 83540: Quantitative Serum Iron Measurement

Sign up for cpt 83540 policy alerts

CPT 83540: Quantitative Serum Iron Measurement

Sign up for cpt 83540 policy alerts

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Payer Policy Updates

Related Codes

What clinical purpose does CPT 83540 serve?

Where and how is the serum iron test (83540) typically performed?

Which billing modifiers may be applicable to CPT 83540 and when would they be used?

What other tests are commonly ordered with a serum iron assay?

Which diagnoses and payers are relevant when billing for 83540?

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Payer Policy Updates

Related Codes

What clinical purpose does CPT 83540 serve?

Where and how is the serum iron test (83540) typically performed?

Which billing modifiers may be applicable to CPT 83540 and when would they be used?

What other tests are commonly ordered with a serum iron assay?

Which diagnoses and payers are relevant when billing for 83540?

References