Need help choosing the right code?
Ask CasePilot about procedures, modifiers, bundling, and coding guidance.
Try CasePilot© Copyright 2026 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
The CPT® Code 82565 refers to the laboratory test for measuring the level of creatinine in a blood sample. Creatinine is a biochemical waste product that results from the normal metabolism of creatine, a substance that plays a crucial role in energy production within muscle cells. The kidneys are responsible for filtering creatinine from the blood, and its concentration in the bloodstream serves as an important indicator of renal function. Elevated levels of creatinine may suggest impaired kidney function, which can occur in various conditions, including acute or chronic kidney diseases. This test is often utilized to screen for renal disorders or to monitor the effectiveness of treatment in patients diagnosed with such conditions. Additionally, creatinine levels may be assessed in individuals suffering from acute or chronic illnesses that could potentially affect kidney performance, as well as in patients taking medications known to impact renal function. The measurement of creatinine is typically performed using a technique called spectrophotometry, which quantifies the concentration of creatinine in the blood sample. For a more comprehensive evaluation of kidney function, creatinine clearance tests, identified by CPT® Code 82575, may also be conducted, which involve analyzing both blood and urine samples to assess the kidneys' filtering capacity.
© Copyright 2026 Coding Ahead. All rights reserved.
Screening for Renal Disease The creatinine blood test is commonly performed to screen for potential renal diseases, allowing for early detection of kidney dysfunction.
Monitoring Treatment of Renal Disease This test is also utilized to monitor the effectiveness of treatment in patients who have been diagnosed with renal conditions, ensuring that therapeutic interventions are having the desired effect on kidney function.
Assessment in Acute or Chronic Illnesses Creatinine levels may be checked in patients with acute or chronic illnesses that could impair renal function, providing valuable information regarding the kidneys' ability to filter waste from the blood.
Medication Monitoring The test is important for patients on medications that may affect renal function, allowing healthcare providers to assess any potential impact on kidney health.
Step 1: Patient Preparation Prior to the blood draw, the patient may be instructed to fast or avoid certain medications that could interfere with the test results. It is essential to ensure that the patient is adequately prepared to obtain accurate measurements of creatinine levels.
Step 2: Blood Sample Collection A qualified healthcare professional will perform a venipuncture to collect a blood sample from the patient. This procedure involves inserting a needle into a vein, typically in the arm, to draw the necessary volume of blood for analysis.
Step 3: Laboratory Analysis Once the blood sample is collected, it is sent to a laboratory where it undergoes analysis. The creatinine concentration is measured using spectrophotometry, a method that quantifies the amount of creatinine present in the blood sample.
Step 4: Result Interpretation After the analysis is complete, the laboratory will provide the results, which will indicate the creatinine level in the blood. These results are then interpreted by the healthcare provider to assess kidney function and determine any necessary follow-up actions.
After the blood sample has been collected, there are generally no specific post-procedure care requirements for the patient. However, it is advisable for the patient to maintain hydration and follow any additional instructions provided by the healthcare professional. The results of the creatinine test will typically be available within a few hours to a few days, depending on the laboratory's processing time. Patients may be advised to schedule a follow-up appointment to discuss the results and any further evaluations or treatments that may be necessary based on the findings.
| Short Descr | ASSAY OF CREATININE | Medium Descr | CREATININE BLOOD | Long Descr | Creatinine; blood | Status Code | Statutory Exclusion (from MPFS, may be paid under other methodologies) | Global Days | XXX - Global Concept Does Not Apply | PC/TC Indicator (26, TC) | 9 - Not Applicable | Multiple Procedures (51) | 9 - Concept does not apply. | Bilateral Surgery (50) | 9 - Concept does not apply. | Physician Supervisions | 09 - Concept does not apply. | Assistant Surgeon (80, 82) | 9 - Concept does not apply. | Co-Surgeons (62) | 9 - Concept does not apply. | Team Surgery (66) | 9 - Concept does not apply. | Diagnostic Imaging Family | 99 - Concept Does Not Apply | CLIA Waived (QW) | Yes | APC Status Indicator | Conditionally packaged laboratory tests | Type of Service (TOS) | 5 - Diagnostic Laboratory | Berenson-Eggers TOS (BETOS) | T1H - Lab tests - other (non-Medicare fee schedule) | MUE | 2 | CCS Clinical Classification | 233 - Laboratory - Chemistry and Hematology |
| QW | Clia waived test | X5 | Diagnostic services requested by another clinician: for reporting services by a clinician who furnishes care to the patient only as requested by another clinician or subsequent and related services requested by another clinician; this modifier is reported for patient relationships that may not be adequately captured by the above alternative categories; reporting clinician service examples include but are not limited to, the radiologist's interpretation of an imaging study requested by another clinician | 90 | Reference (outside) laboratory: when laboratory procedures are performed by a party other than the treating or reporting physician or other qualified health care professional, the procedure may be identified by adding modifier 90 to the usual procedure number. | 91 | Repeat clinical diagnostic laboratory test: in the course of treatment of the patient, it may be necessary to repeat the same laboratory test on the same day to obtain subsequent (multiple) test results. under these circumstances, the laboratory test performed can be identified by its usual procedure number and the addition of modifier 91. note: this modifier may not be used when tests are rerun to confirm initial results; due to testing problems with specimens or equipment; or for any other reason when a normal, one-time, reportable result is all that is required. this modifier may not be used when other code(s) describe a series of test results (eg, glucose tolerance tests, evocative/suppression testing). this modifier may only be used for laboratory test(s) performed more than once on the same day on the same patient. | Q4 | Service for ordering/referring physician qualifies as a service exemption | GA | Waiver of liability statement issued as required by payer policy, individual case | 59 | Distinct procedural service: under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was distinct or independent from other non-e/m services performed on the same day. modifier 59 is used to identify procedures/services, other than e/m services, that are not normally reported together, but are appropriate under the circumstances. documentation must support a different session, different procedure or surgery, different site or organ system, separate incision/excision, separate lesion, or separate injury (or area of injury in extensive injuries) not ordinarily encountered or performed on the same day by the same individual. however, when another already established modifier is appropriate it should be used rather than modifier 59. only if no more descriptive modifier is available, and the use of modifier 59 best explains the circumstances, should modifier 59 be used. note: modifier 59 should not be appended to an e/m service. to report a separate and distinct e/m service with a non-e/m service performed on the same date, see modifier 25. | Q1 | Routine clinical service provided in a clinical research study that is in an approved clinical research study | AY | Item or service furnished to an esrd patient that is not for the treatment of esrd | GW | Service not related to the hospice patient's terminal condition | Q6 | Service furnished under a fee-for-time compensation arrangement by a substitute physician or by a substitute physical therapist furnishing outpatient physical therapy services in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a rural area | XU | Unusual non-overlapping service, the use of a service that is distinct because it does not overlap usual components of the main service | CR | Catastrophe/disaster related | GC | This service has been performed in part by a resident under the direction of a teaching physician | 26 | Professional component: certain procedures are a combination of a physician or other qualified health care professional component and a technical component. when the physician or other qualified health care professional component is reported separately, the service may be identified by adding modifier 26 to the usual procedure number. | GZ | Item or service expected to be denied as not reasonable and necessary | GV | Attending physician not employed or paid under arrangement by the patient's hospice provider | GY | Item or service statutorily excluded, does not meet the definition of any medicare benefit or, for non-medicare insurers, is not a contract benefit | ME | The order for this service adheres to appropriate use criteria in the clinical decision support mechanism consulted by the ordering professional | MG | The order for this service does not have applicable appropriate use criteria in the qualified clinical decision support mechanism consulted by the ordering professional | MH | Unknown if ordering professional consulted a clinical decision support mechanism for this service, related information was not provided to the furnishing professional or provider | X2 | Continuous/focused services: for reporting services by clinicians whose expertise is needed for the ongoing management of a chronic disease or a condition that needs to be managed and followed with no planned endpoint to the relationship; reporting clinician service examples include but are not limited to: a rheumatologist taking care of the patient's rheumatoid arthritis longitudinally but not providing general primary care services | 51 | Multiple procedures: when multiple procedures, other than e/m services, physical medicine and rehabilitation services or provision of supplies (eg, vaccines), are performed at the same session by the same individual, the primary procedure or service may be reported as listed. the additional procedure(s) or service(s) may be identified by appending modifier 51 to the additional procedure or service code(s). note: this modifier should not be appended to designated "add-on" codes (see appendix d). | 76 | Repeat procedure or service by same physician or other qualified health care professional: it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was repeated by the same physician or other qualified health care professional subsequent to the original procedure or service. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 76 to the repeated procedure or service. note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service. | 77 | Repeat procedure by another physician or other qualified health care professional: it may be necessary to indicate that a basic procedure or service was repeated by another physician or other qualified health care professional subsequent to the original procedure or service. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 77 to the repeated procedure or service. note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service. | 95 | Synchronous telemedicine service rendered via a real-time interactive audio and video telecommunications system: synchronous telemedicine service is defined as a real-time interaction between a physician or other qualified health care professional and a patient who is located at a distant site from the physician or other qualified health care professional. the totality of the communication of information exchanged between the physician or other qualified health care professional and the patient during the course of the synchronous telemedicine service must be of an amount and nature that would be sufficient to meet the key components and/or requirements of the same service when rendered via a face-to-face interaction. modifier 95 may only be appended to the services listed in appendix p. appendix p is the list of cpt codes for services that are typically performed face-to-face, but may be rendered via a real-time (synchronous) interactive audio and video telecommunications system. | AQ | Physician providing a service in an unlisted health professional shortage area (hpsa) | CC | Procedure code change (use 'cc' when the procedure code submitted was changed either for administrative reasons or because an incorrect code was filed) | G4 | Most recent urr reading of 70 to 74.9 | JW | Drug amount discarded/not administered to any patient | KX | Requirements specified in the medical policy have been met | MA | Ordering professional is not required to consult a clinical decision support mechanism due to service being rendered to a patient with a suspected or confirmed emergency medical condition | PD | Diagnostic or related non diagnostic item or service provided in a wholly owned or operated entity to a patient who is admitted as an inpatient within 3 days | PO | Excepted service provided at an off-campus, outpatient, provider-based department of a hospital | Q0 | Investigational clinical service provided in a clinical research study that is in an approved clinical research study | Q3 | Live kidney donor surgery and related services | Ordering professional consulted a qualified clinical decision support mechanism for this service and the related data was provided to the furnishing professional | RT | Right side (used to identify procedures performed on the right side of the body) | SA | Nurse practitioner rendering service in collaboration with a physician | X4 | Episodic/focused services: for reporting services by clinicians who provide focused care on particular types of treatment limited to a defined period and circumstance; the patient has a problem, acute or chronic, that will be treated with surgery, radiation, or some other type of generally time-limited intervention; reporting clinician service examples include but are not limited to, the orthopedic surgeon performing a knee replacement and seeing the patient through the postoperative period | XE | Separate encounter, a service that is distinct because it occurred during a separate encounter | XP | Separate practitioner, a service that is distinct because it was performed by a different practitioner | XS | Separate structure, a service that is distinct because it was performed on a separate organ/structure |
|
Date
|
Action
|
Notes
|
|---|---|---|
| Pre-1990 | Added | Code added. |
Get instant expert-level medical coding assistance.