# CPT 87640

> Not at a published national rate. CPT 87640 carries status X (statutory exclusion) in the Q2 2021 release. The statutory definition of physician services does not include this item. Treat the blank amount as unpriced, not as $0.

## What it is

A molecular test that detects Staphylococcus aureus - the common skin bacterium behind boils, wound infections and bloodstream infections - by amplifying its DNA from a swab or a culture bottle. It is much faster than waiting for the organism to grow on a plate and be identified. This version establishes that the organism is present; a separate test hunts for the genetic marker that makes a strain methicillin resistant.

## Selected release

- Release: Q2 2021 (2021 B)
- Effective: April 1 – June 30, 2021
- Status indicator: X
- Office (non-facility) national allowed amount: not published
- Facility national allowed amount: not published
- Sequestration: not applied

## RVUs and formula

- Work RVU: not published
- Office (non-facility) practice expense RVU: not published
- Facility practice expense RVU: not published
- Malpractice RVU: not published
- Conversion factor: 34.8931
- Formula: `(work_rvu × work_gpci + pe_rvu × pe_gpci + mp_rvu × mp_gpci) × conversion_factor`

## Source and citation

- Source: Physician relative value file (Q2 2021)
- CMS file: https://www.cms.gov/files/zip/rvu21b-updated-03022021.zip
- Parsed file: PPRRVU21_APR.csv, row 15,303
- Canonical page: https://localishealth.com/cpt/87640/2014/B
- Release-specific citation URL: https://localishealth.com/cpt/87640/2021/B
- Last significant update: 2026-08-04T03:10:33+00:00