Aerobic bacterial culture of a specimen other than urine, blood, or stool that also counts how many organisms are present, with presumptive identification of the isolates.
- Medicare
- $0.00
- Work RVU
- 0
- Global, days
- Region
- Foot & ankle
Documentation requirements
What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 3 cited references ↓
- Wound location, size, depth, and drainage
- Signs of infection versus colonization
- Specimen type: swab or tissue biopsy
- How the count will change treatment, such as graft or debridement timing
- Diagnosis code for the wound and any infection
Applicable modifiers
Modifiers commonly billed with this code.
Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual
What this code covers
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 3 cited references ↓
87071 is a quantitative aerobic culture for any source except urine, blood, or stool. The lab counts colonies, not just whether bacteria grew. Presumptive identification is included.
In orthopedics and podiatry it shows up mostly with chronic wounds and diabetic foot ulcers, where a bacterial load count helps decide whether a wound is infected or just colonized, and whether it is ready for a graft or closure. Some labs run quantitative cultures on tissue biopsies from nonhealing surgical wounds as well.
Do not report 87071 and 87070 on the same specimen. The lab picks one based on whether a count was performed. Urine colony counts use 87086. Definitive isolate identification goes to 87077, and susceptibility to 87184 or 87186. Payers question quantitative cultures more than routine ones, so the note should explain why a count matters for the treatment decision, such as planning a skin substitute or deciding on debridement.
RVU & reimbursement
Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.
Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026
| Work RVU | 0 |
| Practice expense RVU | 0 |
| Malpractice RVU | 0 |
| Total RVU | 0 |
| Medicare national rate | $0.00 |
| Global period | days |
Payment by site of service
Medicare pays different rates by setting. HOPD typically pays substantially more than ASC for the same procedure.
Source · CMS OPPS Addendum B·ASC HCPCS payment rates·2026
| Setting | Medicare rate (national) |
|---|---|
Office (PFS non-facility) Procedure performed in physician's office | $0.00 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 87071 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- Billed with 87070 on the same specimen
- Urine specimen billed with 87071 instead of 87086
- No documented reason a quantitative count was needed
- Billed by the ordering practice instead of the lab
- Repeat count billed too often for the payer's wound care policy
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 3 cited references ↓
01What is the difference between 87070 and 87071?
02Can 87071 be used for urine cultures?
03Why are quantitative wound cultures ordered?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources.
- 01CMS Physician Fee Schedule 2026
- 02CMS Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule 2026
- 03cms.govhttps://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/national-correct-coding-initiative-ncci-edits
Mira Scribe
Mira Scribe captures wound measurements, drainage, and the provider's plan for closure or grafting, which explains why a quantitative culture was worth ordering.
See how Mira captures CPT 87071 documentation