CPT 80048: basic metabolic panel. What Medicare pays and what to ask
The basic metabolic panel is a quick blood chemistry check. Here is what 80048 contains and the Medicare lab rate.
What this code means
CPT 80048 is a panel of 8 blood tests: total calcium, carbon dioxide, chloride, creatinine, glucose, potassium, sodium and urea nitrogen.
The comprehensive panel, 80053, contains everything in this one plus six more tests.
Why the bill can be much higher than the Medicare rate
Seeing both 80048 and 80053 for the same blood draw deserves a question, since the larger panel already includes the smaller one.
Like other lab lines, the amount billed can be a large multiple of the Medicare lab rate.
| If a line is billed at | It would be |
|---|---|
| 5x the Medicare rate | $42.30 |
| 10x the Medicare rate | $84.60 |
| 20x the Medicare rate | $169.20 |
The Medicare rate is a published benchmark, not a legal ceiling on what a provider may charge. Our free scan flags a line as worth a closer look when it is billed at more than 10 times the Medicare rate.
Questions worth asking before you pay
- Why are both a basic and a comprehensive panel on the bill?
- Were any of the 8 tests billed separately as well?
- Was the panel billed only once for this draw?
Check every line against the official Medicare rates in about a minute. The scan is free.
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Source: Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CMS, 2026), national payment limit. Last updated October 2026. This page is general information, not legal or medical advice. Rates change each year and a hospital bill can include charges that the benchmark does not cover.