Summary & Overview
CPT 84140: Pregnenolone Level Measurement in Serum
CPT code 84140 denotes a laboratory measurement of pregnenolone in a patient specimen, most commonly serum. Pregnenolone is a steroid precursor used in the evaluation of adrenal and gonadal function and certain endocrine disorders; availability of the assay supports diagnostic workups and monitoring in endocrinology and related specialties. Nationally, the code matters because access to specialized endocrine steroid testing affects diagnostic pathways, clinical decision-making, and downstream resource use.
Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context for pregnenolone testing, typical sites of service where the assay is performed, and an outline of the kinds of benchmarks and policy items that affect laboratory billing and coverage for endocrine assays. The publication covers reimbursement benchmarks where available, common billing practices and modifiers used with laboratory services, and policy developments that influence payer coverage and medical necessity determinations. Data not available in the input includes payer-specific rates, associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnosis mappings, and related CPT or panel codes; those elements are noted as unavailable where relevant.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 84140 describes a laboratory assay performed by a clinical laboratory analyst to measure the concentration of pregnenolone in a patient specimen, typically serum. This test evaluates a steroid precursor relevant to adrenal, gonadal, and certain endocrine disorder assessments.
-
Service type: Clinical laboratory biochemical analysis
-
Typical site of service: Hospital laboratory, independent or reference clinical laboratory, or outpatient phlebotomy/collection site
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 38-year-old female presents to an endocrinology clinic with unexplained fatigue, irregular menses, and symptoms suggestive of adrenal or gonadal steroid imbalance. The clinician orders a serum pregnenolone assay to evaluate upstream steroidogenesis as part of a comprehensive adrenal steroid panel. Blood is drawn in the outpatient clinic or a phlebotomy lab, labeled, and transported to the clinical laboratory. The lab analyst performs CPT 84140 on the serum specimen, using an immunoassay or mass spectrometry method to quantify pregnenolone. Results are reported to the ordering endocrinologist, interpreted in the context of other steroid levels (for example cortisol, DHEA, progesterone) and the patient’s clinical presentation to support diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia variants, adrenal insufficiency, or disorders of steroid biosynthesis.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when only the physician interpretation component of anatomic/diagnostic testing is billed separately from the technical lab processing. |
TC | Technical component |