By: Dr. Timothy Dudley, Medical Director
Kidney Health is a relatively new HEDIS measure introduced in 2020 and many payers are adopting the new metric in place of the current renal function metric. The new measure is intended to improve screening for kidney disease in diabetics and incorporates both an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and a urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio (uACR).
The eGFR assesses kidney function while the uACR assesses kidney damage. Currently, less than 50% of diabetics have received both tests. Missing data frequently leads to late diagnosis of kidney disease and missed opportunities for early intervention.
A good practice is to include an order set with all diabetic visits that include the appropriate lab tests for both measures. Since most CHCs use either Quest or LabCorp, check that you have the right laboratory test codes in your EMR orders.
Quest: For the eGFR, a basic metabolic panel is code 10165 (CPT 80048), and a complete metabolic panel is code 90839 (CPT 80053). For the uACR: the test code is 140285.
LabCorp: a basic metabolic panel is code 322758 (CPT 80048), and a comprehensive metabolic panel is 322000, (CPT 80053). For the uACR, code 140285. LabCorp also offers a “cardiorenal glycemic status” test that includes an A1c, an eGFR, an albumin to creatinine ratio, and a lipid panel as test 245292.
