CPT 80053: comprehensive metabolic panel. What Medicare pays and what to ask
The comprehensive metabolic panel is a common blood chemistry test. This page explains 80053 and the national Medicare lab rate.
What this code means
CPT 80053 is a panel of 14 blood tests: glucose, calcium, sodium, potassium, carbon dioxide, chloride, urea nitrogen, creatinine, albumin, total protein, alkaline phosphatase, ALT, AST and bilirubin.
It is often ordered together with a CBC in an ER visit or a physical.
Why the bill can be much higher than the Medicare rate
Because it is a panel, its tests should not also be billed one by one for the same draw.
Hospital lab charges can be many times the Medicare lab rate. The rate is a reference point, not a legal limit.
| If a line is billed at | It would be |
|---|---|
| 5x the Medicare rate | $52.80 |
| 10x the Medicare rate | $105.60 |
| 20x the Medicare rate | $211.20 |
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
- Are any of the 14 tests also billed separately on this bill?
- Is a basic panel (80048) also listed for the same date?
- Is the panel billed once?
Check every line against the official Medicare rates in about a minute. The scan is free.
Related codes
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.