Find policies, billing codes, payers, states, and providers
CPT 86702: Antibody Test for HIV-2
CPT code 86702 represents an immunoassay for detection of serum antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus 2 (HIV‑2). This laboratory procedure is an important component of HIV diagnostic and screening workflows, particularly when distinguishing HIV‑2 exposure or infection from HIV‑1. At a national level, antibody testing for HIV‑2 informs clinical diagnosis, surveillance, and linkage to care pathways.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, United Healthcare, and Medicare. The publication outlines how CPT code 86702 is recognized across major commercial payers and Medicare, and summarizes common clinical contexts and related laboratory services.
Readers will learn the clinical purpose of the test, typical sites of service, and the code’s relationship to other HIV laboratory codes used in screening and confirmatory algorithms. The report provides benchmark context for utilization and billing relationships to related HIV antibody and antigen codes, clarifies common ICD‑10 diagnostic indications associated with testing, and lists commonly billed modifier options for laboratory services. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
Customize your policy alerts
Sign up for cpt 86702 policy alerts
Get alerted when payer policies referencing 86702 are released or updated.
Monitor payer policy activity
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 86702 describes an immunoassay performed by a laboratory analyst to evaluate a patient’s serum for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus 2 (HIV‑2). The service type is laboratory diagnostic testing (serology/immunoassay). The typical site of service is clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory setting, where blood specimens are collected and processed for serologic evaluation.
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National commercial rates for CPT 86702 cluster around the BUCA average commercial rate of $40.9, with sizable variation across individual payers. Blue Cross Blue Shield shows the highest dispersion in the central spread (P75–P25 = $32.5), reflecting a wide middle 50% of contract rates; Cigna (P75–P25 = $11.4) and UnitedHealth Group (P75–P25 = $7.5) are notably tighter, indicating more consistency among contracted rates. Aetna’s spread (P75–P25 = $4.0) is the narrowest of the set, suggesting relatively low mid‑range variability.
Absolute median and mean levels vary: Blue Cross Blue Shield has the highest median at $61.8 and mean at $62.3, while Aetna, Cigna, and UnitedHealth Group center closer to the low‑teens or below. BUCA’s mean of $40.9 sits between the low and high payers, representing an average commercial benchmark rather than an extreme. Range differences highlight where negotiation and contract diversity produce more variable payer outcomes.