Summary & Overview
CPT 84144: Progesterone Assay (Serum, Saliva, or Urine)
CPT code 84144 denotes a laboratory assay for measuring progesterone concentration in specimens such as serum, saliva, or urine. This endocrine laboratory test is widely used across reproductive health, fertility management, and endocrine disorder assessment, making it a routinely billed clinical laboratory service nationwide. The code’s use affects outpatient and inpatient laboratory billing, clinical decision-making around ovulation and luteal phase evaluation, and downstream care pathways.
Key payers addressed in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the code’s clinical context, typical sites of service, and the primary reasons clinicians order the test. The publication summarizes common billing practices and typical modifiers encountered in claims for laboratory services, highlights where policy updates or payer-specific coverage language may influence utilization, and provides benchmarking information to help organizations align coding and billing workflows.
The report offers practical details for coding teams, laboratory managers, and revenue cycle staff: what CPT code 84144 represents, where it is typically performed, payer considerations that commonly arise on claims, and where to look for payer policy updates. Data not available in the input are clearly noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 84144 describes a laboratory assay performed to measure progesterone levels in a patient specimen. The test can be conducted on serum, saliva, or urine and is used to evaluate hormone status for clinical indications such as assessing ovulation, monitoring luteal phase function, or managing fertility and endocrine disorders.
Service Type: Clinical laboratory test (progesterone assay)
Typical Site of Service: Clinical laboratory, hospital laboratory, outpatient lab collection sites, or other certified diagnostic specimen collection facilities
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A reproductive-age female presents to an outpatient phlebotomy or clinic visit for endocrine evaluation related to menstrual irregularity, infertility workup, luteal phase assessment, or monitoring of ovarian function during assisted reproductive technology. A blood specimen (serum) is collected and sent to the clinical laboratory where a laboratory analyst performs a progesterone assay to quantify circulating progesterone levels. The workflow: order placed by the clinician with an indication (for example, infertility evaluation), specimen collection at the clinic or draw station, specimen transported to the laboratory, analysis performed using immunoassay or mass spectrometry, result validated by the laboratory director or qualified technologist, and final report released to the ordering provider for interpretation and treatment planning. Typical sites of service include outpatient clinics, hospital outpatient laboratories, fertility centers, and independent clinical laboratories. The test supports timing of ovulation, confirmation of ovulation, assessment of luteal phase adequacy, monitoring of luteal support in assisted reproduction, and evaluation of adrenal or placental progesterone production in selected clinical scenarios.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when billing only the physician or pathologist professional interpretation component separate from the technical lab component. |