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    v1.0.30
    OpenPayerBilling CodesMicrobiology Culture and Typing ProceduresCPT cpt-87081-targeted-single-organism-culture
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    CPT 87081: Selective Culture for Specific Pathogen

    CPT code 87081 describes a selective culture procedure in which a laboratory analyst inoculates a patient specimen onto a medium formulated to grow only a single, specific pathogenic organism; the service is a microbiology culture typically performed in a clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory setting using a targeted culture medium for organism identification and isolation.

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Long-Acting Injectable Antiretroviral Agents for HIV, B-Hemolytic Streptococcus Testing, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) — Coverage Criteria for Testing and Resistance Assays.

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    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A patient presents to an outpatient clinic or emergency department with signs and symptoms suggestive of infection caused by a specific pathogen (for example, suspected Group A Streptococcus pharyngitis, Clostridioides difficile colitis, or Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection). A clinician collects an appropriate specimen (throat swab, stool, urethral/cervical swab) and sends it to the laboratory with an order to culture on a selective medium designed to grow only the suspected organism. In the clinical workflow the specimen is received at the microbiology laboratory, logged, and plated onto the selective culture medium. The lab analyst incubates and monitors the culture for growth consistent with the target organism, performs identification tests if growth occurs, and reports results to the ordering provider for targeted therapy decisions. Typical sites of service include outpatient clinics, urgent care centers, hospital outpatient laboratories, and hospital inpatient laboratories. Equipment and supplies are limited to selective media and standard microbiology incubators; turnaround time varies from overnight to several days depending on organism and confirmatory testing needs.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    87070Culture, bacterial; any source, aerobic, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolatesOften performed alongside or as an alternative when a broad aerobic culture is needed rather than a selective culture for a single pathogen
    87086Culture, fungal, any source, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolatesPerformed when fungal infection is suspected in addition to or instead of organism-specific bacterial culture
    87491Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); direct probe technique, qualitative or quantitative, for organisms such as Group A StreptococcusMolecular testing that may be used in parallel or as a confirmatory/rapid alternative to culture for the same suspected organism
    87591Infectious agent antigen detection by immunoassay with direct optical observation; Streptococcus, group ARapid antigen tests that may precede culture; culture performed when confirmation or susceptibility testing is required
    87210Smear, primary source with interpretation; Gram or Giemsa stainPerformed prior to or concurrently with culture to provide immediate microscopic information guiding culture interpretation

    Related Modifiers

    7 rows

    ModifierDescriptionWhen to Use
    26Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical…- Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a…
    59Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
    62Modifier 62 indicates that two surgeons function as co‑surgeons, each performing distinct parts of the same primary surgical procedure. It is appended to the primary procedure code (and any…- Use modifier -62 when two surgeons act as co‑surgeons (both primary surgeons) on a single definitive primary procedure, each performing distinct parts of the same surgical procedure (append -62 to…
    78CPT modifier -78 indicates an unplanned, related return to the operating or procedure room by the same provider during the global postoperative period. It is appended when treatment for a…- Use modifier -78 when an unplanned, related complication during the original procedure’s global postoperative period requires the patient to return to a formal operating or procedure room and the…
    90Modifier ‑90 (Reference/Outside Laboratory) indicates that a laboratory test was performed by an entity other than the treating or reporting provider. The American Medical Association defines…- Use CPT modifier -90 when a laboratory test is performed by an outside/reference laboratory (an entity other than the treating or reporting physician or qualified professional) and the claim needs…
    91Modifier 91 — “Repeat Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Test” — is appended when the exact same CPT laboratory test is performed more than once for the same patient on the same day because serial,…- Use modifier 91 when the exact same CPT laboratory test is performed more than once on the same patient on the same date because serial or repeated testing is medically necessary to monitor…
    95Modifier 95 indicates that a service was provided via synchronous, real‑time audio‑video telehealth rather than in‑person. Per CMS, AAPC and professional associations, append modifier 95 to claim…- Use modifier 95 to indicate a service was furnished via synchronous, real‑time audiovisual telehealth (a live audio‑video conference between patient and provider) rather than in‑person. - Pair…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy Code
    207L00000X
    208D00000X
    261QU0200X
    363LF0000X
    171WV0202X
    376K00000X
    103G00000X
    173F00000X

    Related ICD-10-CM Codes

    26 rows

    ICD-10-CM CodeDescription
    A07.1Giardiasis [lambliasis]
    A23.9Brucellosis, unspecified
    A27.0Leptospirosis icterohemorrhagica
    A30.0Indeterminate leprosy
    A41.9Sepsis, unspecified organism
    A49.9Bacterial infection, unspecified
    A54.89Other gonococcal infections
    B95.61Methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus infection as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere
    B95.62Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere
    G00.9Bacterial meningitis, unspecified

    Showing 1–10 of 26

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: Infectious Disease1 / 3

    10 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Long-Acting Injectable Antiretroviral Agents for HIVColorado Rocky Mountain Health Plans2026-10-01
    B-Hemolytic Streptococcus TestingOscar Health2026-10-01
    Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) — Coverage Criteria for Testing and Resistance AssaysOscar Health2026-10-01
    Hepatitis Testing (A, B, C, D) Coverage CriteriaOscar Health2026-10-01
    Lyme Disease Testing Coverage CriteriaOscar Health2026-10-01
    Pathogen Panel TestingOscar Health2026-10-01
    Diagnostic Testing of Common Sexually Transmitted InfectionsOscar Health2026-10-01
    Coronavirus Testing in the Outpatient SettingOscar Health2026-10-01
    Testing for Vector-Borne InfectionsOscar Health2026-10-01
    Testing for Diagnosis of Active or Latent TuberculosisOscar Health2026-10-01

    Related Codes

    87086-CULTURE-BACTERIAL-QUANTITATIVE-COLONY-COUNT

    CPT 87086: Urine Culture with Quantitative Colony Count

    CPT-87040-BLOOD-CULTURE-ISOLATION-PRESUMPTIVE-IDENTIFICATION

    CPT 87040: Blood Bacterial Culture with Isolation and Presumptive ID

    CPT-87045-AEROBIC-BACTERIAL-STOOL-CULTURE-SALMONELLA-SHIGELLA

    CPT 87045: Aerobic Bacterial Stool Culture for Salmonella/Shigella

    CPT-87046-AEROBIC-BACTERIAL-STOOL-CULTURE-PRESUMPTIVE-ID-NON-SALMONELLA-SHIGELLA

    CPT 87046: Aerobic Bacterial Stool Culture, Presumptive ID (non-Salmonella/Shigella)

    CPT-87070-AEROBIC-CULTURE-ISOLATION-PRESUMPTIVE-IDENTIFICATION

    CPT 87070: Aerobic Culture with Isolation and Presumptive Identification

    CPT-87071-AEROBIC-QUANTITATIVE-BACTERIAL-CULTURE-NON-URINE-BLOOD-STOOL

    CPT 87071: Quantitative Aerobic Bacterial Culture, Non-urine/blood/stool

    CPT-87073-ANAEROBIC-CULTURE-NONBLOOD-NONURINE-NONSTOOL

    CPT 87073: Anaerobic Culture, Non-Urine/Blood/Stool

    CPT-87075-ANAEROBIC-CULTURE-IDENTIFICATION-NON-BLOOD-SPECIMEN

    CPT 87075: Anaerobic Culture and Bacterial Identification (Nonblood)

    CPT-87076-ANAEROBIC-ISOLATE-DEFINITIVE-IDENTIFICATION

    CPT 87076: Anaerobic Isolate Identification to Species Level

    CPT-87077-DEFINITIVE-IDENTIFICATION-AEROBIC-ISOLATE

    CPT 87077: Definitive Identification of Aerobic Isolate

    Showing 1–10 of 30

    Frequently Asked Questions

    References

    1. 1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
    2. 2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
    3. 3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.
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