Procedure · Updated Aug 1, 2026

COVID test: CPT code and Medicare rate

A PCR test for SARS-CoV-2, used to confirm or rule out COVID-19 in someone with symptoms or a known exposure.

Also called: covid-19 test, coronavirus test, covid pcr.

Usually billed as

87635 SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Detection

87635 has no national Medicare amount in the Q3 2026 release — its status is statutory exclusion. What Medicare pays depends on the circumstances of the individual claim.

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COVID test: which code is it?

87635—SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Detection. A PCR test for SARS-CoV-2, used to confirm or rule out COVID-19 in someone with symptoms or a known exposure.

COVID test: how much does Medicare pay?

87635 has no national Medicare amount in the Q3 2026 release—its status is statutory exclusion. What Medicare pays depends on the specific circumstances of the claim.

Need the rate where you practice?

Every code page carries the full locality breakdown, the RVU and GPCI inputs, and the release that answered.

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This page maps everyday language to the code a claim normally carries. It is general information about how Medicare prices a service, not coding advice for a specific claim—the correct code always depends on what was actually documented and performed.

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