Summary & Overview
CPT 84560: Uric Acid Assay in Nonblood Specimens
CPT code 84560 identifies a laboratory assay that measures uric acid in nonblood specimens, most commonly a 24-hour urine collection. This biochemical test aids in evaluating disorders of uric acid metabolism — including monitoring for conditions associated with hyperuricemia or altered renal excretion — and is used across outpatient and inpatient laboratory settings. Nationally, lab-based metabolic assays like this are important for diagnostic workups, chronic disease monitoring, and guiding therapeutic decisions.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication provides a concise overview of clinical context, billing and site-of-service considerations, and payer coverage patterns where available.
Readers will learn what CPT code 84560 represents clinically, the typical service setting, common billing considerations, and which major payers commonly cover this laboratory service. Data not available in the input will be noted as such where relevant.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 84560 measures uric acid in specimens other than blood, such as urine collected over 24 hours. The test quantifies uric acid concentration to assess metabolic status related to uric acid production or excretion.
Service type: Clinical laboratory test — biochemical assay
Typical site of service: Clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory with specimen collection performed in outpatient or inpatient settings
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is a 55-year-old adult referred to a clinical laboratory after evaluation for recurrent gout flares and/or suspected uric acid kidney stones. The clinician orders a 24-hour urine collection to quantify urinary uric acid excretion to guide dietary and pharmacologic management. The patient receives written and verbal collection instructions, collects all urine over a 24-hour period into a provided container with preservative as indicated, and returns the specimen to the outpatient laboratory or hospital phlebotomy/specimen drop-off. The laboratory accessioning staff logs specimen details and forwards the sample to the chemistry section. A laboratory technologist performs CPT 84560 to measure uric acid in the urine specimen. Results are reported in mg/24 hours (or mg/dL for spot urine) and transmitted to the ordering provider for interpretation and treatment planning. Typical sites of service include outpatient hospital laboratories, independent clinical laboratories, and hospital clinical pathology laboratories.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when reporting only the professional (interpretive) component if applicable in split-billing environments. |