Basic Metabolic Panel Cost and Medicare Coverage (CPT 80048)
Also called: BMP · chem 8 · chem 7 · electrolyte panel plus — all the same test, CPT 80048.
No test-specific policy — general Medicare medical-necessity rules apply what's this?
Medicare has no national or regional policy written for this specific test. The general standard applies instead: it’s covered when your doctor orders it for a medical reason — evaluating symptoms, or monitoring a condition or medication — and not as routine screening.
- Does Medicare cover it?
- Yes — covered
- You pay if covered
- $0 — no deductible, no coinsurance
- Medicare pays the lab
- $8.46
- Information verified
- 2026-09-04
Buy it yourself — what you'd really pay
| Where | Test price | Fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Health jasonhealth.com | $5 | $18 one fee per order — covers every test on it | $23 |
| Ulta Lab Tests ultalabtests.com Partner link — we earn a commission if you order. No extra cost to you. | $20.95 | $12.95 draw fee — one per order, covers every test on it | $33.90 |
Disclosure: the Ulta Lab Tests link above is a partner link. If you order through it, ClaraCover earns a commission. It costs you nothing extra, and it never changes what we tell you about Medicare coverage.
The short answer
Yes — when your doctor orders it for a medical reason, which is nearly always the case. Like its big sibling the CMP, the basic metabolic panel has no special Medicare policy: the general rule applies, and monitoring a condition or a medication easily satisfies it. Denials are rare. Medicare pays the lab $8.46; you pay nothing.
When Medicare DOES cover it
- Monitoring conditions — kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart failure, dehydration concerns
- Monitoring medications — diuretics (“water pills”), blood pressure drugs, and other medicines that can shift kidney function or electrolytes
- Evaluating symptoms — weakness, confusion, irregular heartbeat, swelling, and other complaints where electrolytes and kidney numbers give fast answers
When Medicare does NOT cover it
- Pure routine screening — a panel with no condition, medication, or symptom behind it. As with the CMP, this is the rare exception rather than the rule.
What you pay if it IS covered: $0
Covered lab tests cost Medicare patients nothing — no deductible, no 20% coinsurance. Medicare pays the lab $8.46 for a BMP, and you owe zero.
What it costs to buy yourself
Here the BMP is unusual: Quest’s and Labcorp’s consumer sites don’t sell it by itself — their smallest chemistry panel is the full CMP at $49. Jason Health does, for $5 (jasonhealth.com — add their flat $18 lab-collection fee per order). And honestly, if you’re buying out of pocket anyway, the 14-test CMP for a few dollars more is usually the better purchase — see our CMP page for those prices.
Quick questions people ask
What is a BMP? One blood draw, eight measurements: blood sugar (glucose), kidney function (creatinine and BUN), electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide), and calcium. On billing paperwork it’s CPT code 80048. You’ll also hear “chem 7” or “chem 8” — older nicknames for essentially the same panel.
What’s the difference between a BMP and a CMP? The CMP (CPT 80053) is the same eight tests plus six liver measurements — 14 in all. Doctors order the BMP when the liver isn’t in question, most commonly for routine kidney/electrolyte monitoring. Different codes, different prices, and Medicare covers whichever one your situation calls for.
Do you have to fast for a BMP? Often yes — it includes glucose, and many doctors want that number fasting. Follow the instructions that came with your order.
Sources and data dates
Medicare payment amount: CMS Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, 2026 Q3 file (national rate). Coverage: no test-specific national policy — general Medicare medical-necessity rules apply. Consumer prices and catalogs checked September 2026. Information current as of the date shown above; coverage is always determined by Medicare when your claim is processed.
ClaraCover provides information, not medical, billing, or insurance advice. Talk to your doctor about what tests you need.