Summary & Overview
CPT 83550: Iron Binding Capacity (Transferrin Saturation)
CPT code 83550 denotes a laboratory assay measuring iron binding capacity, typically performed on serum to evaluate transferrin’s capacity to bind iron. This test is a core component of iron status evaluation, often reported alongside serum iron to calculate transferrin saturation. Nationally, the test is commonly ordered in outpatient and inpatient settings to investigate anemia, iron deficiency, or iron overload conditions.
Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical context for the test, the typical service setting, and which payers commonly reimburse for this laboratory service. The publication also summarizes common modifiers and related billing considerations provided in the input, and highlights benchmarks and policy-relevant topics such as coding accuracy, laboratory reporting practices, and coverage variations among major payers.
The report is intended to inform coding staff, laboratory managers, and policy analysts about the clinical meaning of CPT code 83550, expected sites of service, and payer coverage landscape. Data not available in the input are noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 83550 describes a laboratory measurement of iron binding capacity in a patient specimen, most commonly performed on serum. The analyte reflects the capacity of iron to bind to transferrin and is used clinically to assess iron status, often reported as transferrin saturation when paired with serum iron results.
Service Type: Clinical laboratory test — quantitative chemistry
Typical Site of Service: Clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical adult outpatient presents to a primary care clinic with fatigue, pallor, and laboratory evidence suggesting iron deficiency or iron overload. The clinician orders serum iron studies, including total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) measured by the laboratory to assess transferrin saturation and help differentiate iron deficiency anemia from anemia of chronic disease or hemochromatosis. A phlebotomy is performed in the clinic or a specimen is collected at an ambulatory draw station; the specimen is sent to the clinical chemistry laboratory. A medical laboratory scientist or technologist performs the 83550 assay on serum using automated instrumentation to determine TIBC/transferrin saturation, documents results in the laboratory information system, and the ordering clinician reviews results to guide treatment such as iron supplementation, further testing (ferritin, transferrin), or referral to hematology.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when billing only the professional component of testing in settings where technical and professional components are split. |
TC |