# CPT 87798

> Not at a published national rate. CPT 87798 carries status X (statutory exclusion) in the Q1 2016 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 catch-all molecular test used when a laboratory amplifies and detects the genetic material of an infectious organism that has no code of its own. The technique matches the named targets - copy a stretch of the organism's DNA or RNA until it is detectable - but the organism being looked for sits outside the specifically listed ones. Each organism sought is treated as its own test, and the target has to be named in the documentation.

## Selected release

- Release: Q1 2016 (2016 A)
- Effective: January 1 – March 31, 2016
- 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: 35.8043
- Formula: `(work_rvu × work_gpci + pe_rvu × pe_gpci + mp_rvu × mp_gpci) × conversion_factor`

## Source and citation

- Source: Physician relative value file (Q1 2016)
- CMS file: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/medicare-fee-for-service-payment/physicianfeesched/downloads/rvu16a.zip
- Parsed file: PPRRVU16_V0122.csv, row 14,347
- Canonical page: https://localishealth.com/cpt/87798/2014/B
- Release-specific citation URL: https://localishealth.com/cpt/87798/2016/A
- Last significant update: 2026-08-04T03:06:29+00:00