Currentpriority healthPolicy N/A

Drug Testing

Defines medical necessity criteria, covered and non-covered indications, allowed specimen matrices, limitations, applicable CPT/HCPCS/ICD-10 codes, and billing notes for outpatient and residential drug testing. Excludes emergency department and acute inpatient settings and describes when presumptive versus definitive testing is appropriate.

Policy Summary

Payerpriority health

PolicyDrug Testing

Policy CodePolicy N/A

Change TypeCoverage/criteria updates

Effective DateDec 1, 2025

Next Review DateN/A

Key ActionProvider must document medical necessity on the order, including rationale for each quantitative test ordered and how results will impact clinical care.

SourceLink

POLICY UPDATE CHANGES

Definitive urine drug testing may be considered medically necessary as an initial testing modality when no corresponding presumptive test is available.

There may be additional limitations to drug testing frequency per Priority Health Billing Policy No. 008 - Drug Testing.

MultiplePresumptive and definitive CPT/HCPCS codes listed

ManyICD-10 example codes provided

SeveralNot-covered proprietary/novel U-codes listed

Coverage Summary

This policy addresses outpatient and residential drug testing (presumptive and definitive) and does not apply to emergency department or acute inpatient settings. Effective date: December 1, 2025. Last review date: May 15, 2025. The policy defines medical necessity criteria, covered and non-covered indications, allowed specimen matrices, and billing notes for presumptive (qualitative/semi-quantitative) and definitive (quantitative/confirmatory) testing performed in outpatient and residential settings.

Key facts

Effective date2025-12-01

Last review2025-05-15

Next review

Coverage stanceMixed — presumptive and definitive testing covered when medical necessity criteria met; hair/sweat/nail not medically necessary; some U-codes not covered

Scope summaryOutpatient and residential drug testing policy: defines medical necessity criteria for presumptive (qualitative/semi-quantitative) and definitive (quantitative/confirmatory) testing, allowed matrices (urine preferred; blood/oral fluid only when urine not feasible), exclusions (ED/acute inpatient, hair/sweat/nails, third-party requirements), lists applicable CPT/HCPCS/ICD-10 codes and billing notes

Medical-Necessity Criteria

Presumptive (qualitative; semi-quantitative) drug testing - Medically Necessary Criteria

Presumptive drug testing is considered medically necessary only when performed within the context of any of the following (1, 2, or 3):

ANY of the following

ALL of the following
- either a or b
  - a: Individual receiving treatment for chronic pain with prescription opioid or other potentially abused medications
  - b: Individual undergoing treatment for, or monitoring for relapse of, opioid addiction or substance abuse
To assess an individual when clinical evaluation suggests use of nonprescribed medications or illegal substances
On initial entrance into a pain management program or substance abuse recovery program

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ref": "b1_0"

title": "Presumptive (qualitative; semi-quantitative) drug testing - Medically Necessary Criteria"

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Definitive (confirmatory; quantitative) urine drug testing - Medically Necessary Criteria

Definitive drug testing is considered medically necessary only when ALL of the following are met:

ALL of the following

Either
- a: The presumptive/qualitative test was negative for prescribed medications, positive for a prescription drug with abuse potential which was not prescribed, or positive for an illegal drug (e.g. methamphetamine or cocaine)
- b: Presumptive/qualitative drug tests are not available for the drug in question
The specific quantitative test(s) ordered are supported by documentation specifying the rationale for each quantitative test ordered
Providers must document rationale on order

Not Covered / Experimental

Not covered items include: orders for unspecified or vague testing requests (e.g., 'custom profiles,' 'definitive panels,' 'standing orders,' or 'protocol screening'); specimen/sample validity/adulteration testing billed separately; drug testing billed by an entity that did not perform the service; and drug testing required solely for third-party administrative purposes (employment, licensing, school, housing, courts, forensic). Sweat, hair, and nail matrices are considered not medically necessary in all circumstances. Certain novel or proprietary U-codes and other listed codes are explicitly not covered per the policy's Not Covered list (examples include 0007U, 0011U, 0051U, 0054U, 0078U, 0079U, 0082U, 0110U, 0116U, 0117U, 0328U, 0517U, 0518U, 0519U, 0520U, 0587U, 0603U, and P2031). This policy applies to outpatient and residential settings and excludes emergency department and acute inpatient settings.

Not covered / excluded codes (Not Covered list)mixedNot Covered

0007U	Drug test(s), presumptive, with definitive confirmation, includes specimen verification / DNA authentication (ToxProtect™)
0011U	Prescription drug monitoring, LC-MS/MS, oral fluid, comparison to steady-state range (Cordant CORE™)
0051U	Prescription drug monitoring LC-MS/MS, urine or blood, 31 drug panel, quantitative report
0054U	Listed in policy as Not Covered (specific description not provided inline)
0078U	Pain management genotyping panel, 16 variants, buccal swab
0079U	Comparative DNA analysis using SNPs for specimen identity verification (ToxLok)
0082U	Definitive drug test(s), 90+ drugs or substances, definitive chromatography with mass spectrometry and presumptive by instrument chemistry, urine
0110U	Prescription drug monitoring oral oncology drugs, LC-MS/MS, serum or plasma, quantitative with steady-state range
0116U	Prescription drug monitoring, enzyme immunoassay of 35+ drugs confirmed with LC-MS/MS, oral fluid, algorithm results
0117U	Pain management algorithmic urine analytes panel, LC-MS/MS, pain-index score

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Coding

Presumptive drug testing CPT codesCPTCovered

80305	Drug test(s), presumptive, any number of drug classes; read by direct optical observation; includes sample validation when performed, per date of service
80306	Drug test(s), presumptive, any number of drug classes; read by instrument-assisted direct optical observation; includes sample validation when performed, per date of service
80307	Drug test(s), presumptive, any number of drug classes, by instrument chemistry analyzers; includes sample validation when performed, per date of service

Definitive drug testing CPT codes (80320-80377)CPTCovered

80320	Alcohols
80321	Alcohol biomarkers; 1 or 2
80322	Alcohol biomarkers; 3 or more
80323	Alkaloids, not otherwise specified
80324	Amphetamines; 1 or 2
80325	Amphetamines; 3 or 4
80326	Amphetamines; 5 or more
80327	Anabolic steroids; 1 or 2
80328	Anabolic steroids; 3 or more
80329	Analgesics, non-opioid; 1 or 2

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Definitive drug testing HCPCS G-codes (Medicare/Medicaid mapping)HCPCSCovered

G0480	Definitive drug test(s), includes specimen validity testing, per day, 1-7 drug class(es)
G0481	Definitive drug test(s), includes specimen validity testing, per day, 8-14 drug class(es)
G0482	Definitive drug test(s), includes specimen validity testing, per day, 15-21 drug class(es)
G0483	Definitive drug test(s), includes specimen validity testing, per day, 22 or more drug class(es)
G0659	Definitive drug test(s) performed without method/drug-specific calibration or matrix-matched QC or without stable isotope internal standards; per specimen

ICD-10 codes (applicable / mapping / examples)ICD-10

Z00.8	Encounter for other general examination
Z02.0	Encounter for examination for admission to educational institution
Z02.1	Encounter for pre-employment examination
Z02.2	Encounter for examination for admission to residential institution
Z02.3	Encounter for examination for recruitment to armed forces
Z02.4	Encounter for examination for driving license
Z02.5	Encounter for examination for participation in sport
Z02.6	Encounter for examination for insurance purposes
Z02.71	Encounter for disability determination
Z02.79	Encounter for issue of other medical certificate

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Provider Actions & Billing

Documentation Required

Order documentation requirements

Provider must document medical necessity on the order, including the rationale for each quantitative (definitive) test ordered and a clear explanation of how test results will be used to guide clinical care. Documentation should specify why each quantitative test is needed (e.g., to support ongoing use/discontinuation of a drug or to confirm a presumptive result) and how the results will affect patient management.

Billing Rule

Specimen validity testing billing

Specimen/sample validity testing (including adulteration checks and other collection quality controls) is a mandatory part of the collection and testing process and is integral to the service. Do not bill specimen validity testing separately; it is not separately reimbursable.

Billing Rule

Provider performing service

Drug testing claims submitted by an entity that did not perform the service are not covered and may be denied. Ensure the billing provider is the entity that actually performed the collection/testing.

Prior Authorization

Prior authorization

Prior authorization may be required for certain drug testing services. When PA is required, providers must submit a request demonstrating medical necessity. See the Priority Health Provider Manual for details and submission instructions.

Billing Rule

Facility inclusion

Drug testing required for participation in a substance abuse facility (presumptive or definitive urine testing) is considered included in the facility's reimbursement and is not separately covered or payable to the facility.

Billing Rule

Annual and per-day limits

There may be limits on the number of drug tests per day and per year. Refer to Priority Health Billing Policy No. 008 - Drug Testing for specific annual and per-day frequency limits before billing.

Background & Definitions

Background/context: The policy distinguishes between presumptive (qualitative/semi-quantitative) testing—used to detect the presence or absence of a drug class and generally reported as positive/negative—and definitive (quantitative/confirmatory) testing—used to determine the specific concentration of a drug or metabolite and reported numerically. Presumptive testing is considered medically necessary only within defined clinical contexts (for example, verifying compliance in chronic pain management, assessing suspected nonprescribed/illegal substance use, or on initial entry into pain management or substance recovery programs). Definitive urine testing is medically necessary when the presumptive test is discordant or when presumptive tests are unavailable, when each quantitative test ordered is justified in the documentation, and when clinical notes state how results will guide care. The policy governs testing in outpatient and residential settings (not ED/acute inpatient) and requires documentation of medical necessity tied to clinical management; it also notes a new allowance permitting definitive testing as the initial modality when no corresponding presumptive test exists.

Definitions

Qualitative (presumptive) drug testing: A testing methodology to determine the presence or absence of a substance belonging to a general class of drugs. The test result is expressed in non-numerical terms (i.e. positive or negative).

Quantitative (definitive) drug testing: A testing methodology to determine the specific quantity/concentration of a drug or drug metabolite. The test result is expressed in numerical terms.

Revision History

policy_change_addedLatest

Definitive urine drug testing may be considered medically necessary as an initial testing modality when no corresponding presumptive (qualitative/semi-quantitative) test is available.

policy_change_addedLatest

Policy references Priority Health Billing Policy No. 008 - Drug Testing for additional limitations on drug testing frequency (per-day and per-year limits).

Policy Summary

Payerpriority health

PolicyDrug Testing

Policy CodePolicy N/A

Change TypeCoverage/criteria updates

Effective DateDec 1, 2025

Next Review DateN/A

Key ActionProvider must document medical necessity on the order, including rationale for each quantitative test ordered and how results will impact clinical care.

SourceLink

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