CPT 84132: Measurement of Potassium in Blood
Commercial payers pay $10 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 84132 describes a quantitative laboratory measurement of potassium in a patient specimen, typically performed on blood collected by routine venipuncture; the service is a clinical chemistry test generally provided in a clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory setting as a discrete diagnostic assay used to evaluate electrolyte status.
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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National Reimbursement Benchmarks
For CPT 84132 the national commercial landscape centers around a BUCA average commercial rate of $10.3, with individual payers generally paying lower or higher around that benchmark. Blue Cross Blue Shield has a higher central tendency (median $10.6) while Aetna, Cigna, and UnitedHealth Group have lower medians ($4.0, $5.0, $3.6 respectively). Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield also include wider extreme values (Aetna max $96.9; BCBS max $65.3), which elevate their mean rates compared with their medians.
Looking at dispersion measured as P75 minus P25, Blue Cross Blue Shield shows the widest interquartile spread at $8.4 ($16.3 − $8.2), indicating more variability in negotiated commercial rates. Aetna’s spread is $3.7 ($6.7 − $3.0), Cigna’s is $3.6 ($6.7 − $3.1), UnitedHealth Group’s is $2.8 ($5.7 − $2.9), and BUCA’s IQR is $6.0 ($12.0 − $6.0). UnitedHealth Group is the tightest among these payers by IQR.