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CPT 88749: Unlisted In Vivo Laboratory Service
CPT code 88749 designates unlisted in vivo laboratory services and is applied when a specific CPT code is not available for the laboratory procedure performed. Nationally, this code matters because it provides a billing pathway for novel, rare, or evolving in vivo tests that lack discrete coding, ensuring such services can be reported and considered for coverage or review. The analysis covers major national payers, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare.
Readers will learn what 88749 represents clinically and operationally, how common payers address unlisted in vivo laboratory services, and which documentation elements and billing practices are typically important when reporting an unlisted in vivo test. The publication summarizes benchmarks and common billing patterns where available, highlights relevant policy considerations for national payers, and explains the clinical context in which an unlisted in vivo laboratory service is used. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 88749 is used to report unlisted in vivo laboratory services when no specific CPT code exists for the procedure performed. This code captures novel, atypical, or otherwise unclassified in vivo laboratory tests that are performed and reported without a designated code.
Service type: In vivo laboratory testing (unlisted service)
Typical site of service: Clinical laboratory or hospital-based laboratory performing in vivo testing, depending on where the unlisted in vivo procedure is performed.