Lab & pathology
87086 — Culture, bacterial; urine, quantitative colony count
A urine culture test where a clean-catch or catheterized urine sample is grown on culture plates and the number of bacterial colonies is counted and reported.
- Typical setting: Hospital lab, reference lab
- National avg charge (illustrative): $8–$18 Medicare allowed (CMS CLFS); $15–$55 commercial; varies by region
- Most-disputed reason: Billing 87086 when only a urinalysis dipstick (81002) or automated UA (81003) was performed — culture is a separate, more expensive test that requires a separately submitted specimen
What it means
What 87086 actually means
A urine culture test where a clean-catch or catheterized urine sample is grown on culture plates and the number of bacterial colonies is counted and reported. A colony count above a threshold (typically 100,000 CFU/mL) indicates a urinary tract infection.
Common errors with this code
What goes wrong on real bills.
Most bills that look correct still contain at least one of these issues. Up to 49% of medical bills contain errors (CFPB).
- Billing 87086 when only a urinalysis dipstick (81002) or automated UA (81003) was performed — culture is a separate, more expensive test that requires a separately submitted specimen
- Billing both the culture (87086) and sensitivity testing (87186) when no organism was isolated — sensitivity testing can only be billed when culture growth is present
- Duplicate billing when the physician office bills for a culture that was entirely referred to and performed by an outside reference laboratory
If you see 87086 on your bill
Three steps before paying.
1. Get the itemized bill. If your statement only shows a summary, request the CPT-level itemized bill before paying. Generate the request language →
2. Cross-check against the EOB. Compare what your insurer's Explanation of Benefits says you owe versus what the hospital is asking. They disagree more often than people think. Read the bill-vs-EOB guide →
3. Run a free Bill Scan. Upload the bill (and EOB if you have it) and BillBusted will flag the most likely issues with this specific code in your specific state. Run free scan →
Related codes
Other codes in this category.
People who land on 87086 often also see these adjacent codes on the same bill.
CPT
80050 — General health panel; includes CBC w/diff, CMP, TSH
Lab — check for unbundling and duplicate billing.
CPT
80051 — Electrolyte panel; CO2, chloride, potassium, sodium
Lab — check for unbundling and duplicate billing.
CPT
80053 — Comprehensive metabolic panel
If individual blood tests are also on your bill, you may have an unbundling error.
CPT
80055 — Obstetric panel; CBC w/diff, HBsAg, rubella Ab, syphilis, RBC Ab screen, ABO/Rh
Lab — check for unbundling and duplicate billing.
CPT
80061 — Lipid panel (cholesterol)
If you see HDL or LDL listed separately next to 80061, that's unbundling.
Related BillBusted guides
Plain-English reads if you see 87086 on a bill.
87086 FAQ
Plain-English answers.
What does 87086 usually cost?
$8–$18 Medicare allowed (CMS CLFS); $15–$55 commercial; varies by region. Costs vary by region, payer contract, and whether the service was performed in a hospital outpatient department (which adds a facility fee) versus a free-standing clinic.
What's the most common billing error on 87086?
Billing 87086 when only a urinalysis dipstick (81002) or automated UA (81003) was performed — culture is a separate, more expensive test that requires a separately submitted specimen
What should I do if I see 87086 on my bill?
Request the itemized bill and the matching EOB from your insurer. Compare the units/quantity billed against what you actually received. Run a free BillBusted scan to flag the most likely errors specific to 87086 before paying.
Don't pay 87086 blindly.
The free scan tells you in under 60 seconds whether this charge looks reasonable for your situation.