CPT 87880: Strep A Test, Rapid
Infectious agent antigen detection by immunoassay, Streptococcus Group A. A rapid point-of-care test for diagnosing strep throat.
Why CPT 87880 Claims Get Denied
Claims billed under CPT 87880 are frequently denied or downcoded for the following reasons. Understanding these patterns helps your practice reduce denial rates and recover revenue faster.
CLIA waiver not on file for point-of-care testing
Diagnosis code does not support testing
Bundled with office visit
Duplicate with throat culture on same date
Billing Tips for CPT 87880
Requires QW modifier for CLIA-waived testing. Bill with appropriate pharyngitis or sore throat diagnosis code (J02.9, J02.0). Can be billed in addition to an E/M visit. If negative, a confirmatory throat culture (87081) may be separately billable.
Documentation Requirements
To support a clean claim for CPT 87880, your clinical documentation should include:
Documentation of symptoms (sore throat, fever)
Provider order for the test
Test results in the medical record
CLIA waiver certificate on file
Common Modifiers for CPT 87880
Reduce CPT 87880 Denials by 60%
RediClaim's pre-submission scrubber catches documentation gaps and coding errors before you submit, while the appeal generator handles denials that slip through.