Summary & Overview
CPT 87182: Multiplex Immunoassay for Carbapenemase Detection
CPT code 87182 covers a multiplex immunoassay performed on an organism isolated in culture to detect carbapenemase enzymes, which mediate resistance to carbapenem antibiotics. This laboratory test provides qualitative (positive/negative) screening for multiple carbapenemase targets in a single assay, supporting infection control, antimicrobial stewardship, and therapeutic decision-making. Nationally, identification of carbapenemase-producing organisms is a priority for public health and hospital preparedness because these organisms limit treatment options and are associated with higher morbidity.
Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication outlines coverage and coding context for these major payers and Medicare, presenting benchmarks for utilization, common billing considerations, and clinical context for laboratory and infection prevention teams.
Readers will learn what CPT code 87182 represents clinically and operationally, typical sites of service and service type, and what to expect in payer coverage landscapes at a high level. The report highlights implications for laboratory workflows, reporting practices, and how this test fits into broader antimicrobial resistance surveillance. Data not provided in the input (such as specific modifier usage, associated taxonomies, ICD-10 pairings, or related codes) are noted as unavailable where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 87182 describes a laboratory multiplex immunoassay performed by a lab analyst to determine whether an organism grown in culture from a patient's specimen produces carbapenemase enzymes. The assay screens for multiple carbapenemase targets simultaneously and reports a qualitative result (positive or negative), identifying organisms with enzymatic mechanisms that confer resistance to carbapenem antibiotics.
Service type: Clinical laboratory diagnostic test — microbiology, antigen/antibody immunoassay (multiplex)
Typical site of service: Clinical laboratory or microbiology laboratory (hospital lab, reference lab, or independent diagnostic laboratory).
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 68-year-old hospitalized patient on a ventilator develops a ventilator-associated pneumonia with Gram-negative bacilli isolated from a tracheal aspirate culture. The clinical laboratory grows an organism in culture and the treating team requests rapid identification of carbapenemase production to guide infection control and antimicrobial selection. A microbiology technologist performs a multiplex immunoassay that qualitatively screens the cultured isolate for multiple carbapenemase enzymes (e.g., KPC, NDM, VIM, IMP, OXA-48). Results are reported as positive or negative and communicated to the clinical team and infection prevention program. Typical workflow steps include specimen receipt and accessioning, culture and isolate growth, performance of the multiplex immunoassay by a trained laboratory analyst, documentation of results in the laboratory information system, and notification to the ordering clinician and infection control. Typical site of service is an acute care hospital clinical microbiology laboratory or reference laboratory supporting inpatient and outpatient specimen testing. Typical service type is a laboratory diagnostic test (microbiology immunoassay) performed by trained laboratory personnel using cultured isolates.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional Component | Use if billing the laboratory test's professional interpretation separately from technical component (rare for this technical assay). |