CPT code 87478 designates a molecular diagnostic assay using amplified probe technology to detect nucleic acids from Borrelia miyamotoi, the bacterium linked to tickborne relapsing fever (TBRF). Nationally, this code captures specialized infectious disease testing that supports diagnosis of a less common tickborne pathogen with growing clinical recognition. The code matters for laboratories, clinicians evaluating febrile or relapsing illness after tick exposure, and payers managing coverage and appropriate use of molecular infectious disease panels.

Key payers included in the analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context and typical laboratory site of service, plus what to expect in payer coverage discussions and benchmarking. The publication also summarizes common billing modifiers and identifies where data was not provided.

This resource provides: clinical purpose and testing method; expected site-of-service and operational implications for laboratories; guidance on common modifiers used with molecular pathology billing; and notes on missing input elements where applicable. The content is written for a national audience of laboratory directors, coding and billing specialists, clinicians, and payer policy analysts.