CPT code 86140 represents the technical laboratory test for detection of C-reactive protein (CRP) in serum. As a common inflammatory marker, CRP testing is widely used in clinical diagnostics, acute care, and outpatient management to assess inflammation, infection, or treatment response. Nationally, this code matters because CRP testing is frequently ordered across care settings and contributes to laboratory service volumes, reimbursement patterns, and utilization oversight.

Key payers in typical analyses include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of the clinical context for CRP testing, payer coverage considerations, and the types of benchmarks commonly reported for laboratory CPT codes — including utilization rates, allowed amounts, and site-of-service patterns. The publication also summarizes relevant policy updates and coding guidance where available, and explains what measures are used to compare performance and cost for this laboratory service.

This summary is designed to orient clinicians, billing professionals, and policy analysts to the purpose of CPT code 86140, the settings where the technical component is delivered, and the categories of information that follow in the full report.