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    v1.0.31
    OpenPayerBilling CodesBone Marrow or Stem Cell Services/ProceduresCPT cpt-38205-apheresis-hpc-peripheral-blood-harvest
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    CPT 38205: Apheresis Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Harvest

    Medicare pays $70 on average nationally for this procedure.

    CPT code 38205 describes the collection of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) from a donor's peripheral blood using an apheresis procedure; this is a therapeutic collection service performed with specialized apheresis equipment and is typically provided in an outpatient apheresis unit or blood center setting as a cell harvest service for transplantation or cellular therapy preparation.

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Bendamustine Products Coverage Criteria, T-Cell Lymphoma Agents: Beleodaq, Istodax, Lymphir, Poteligeo, and Romidepsin, Brentuximab Vedotin (Adcetris®) Coverage Criteria.

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    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A typical patient scenario involves a healthy volunteer or an allogeneic related/unrelated donor presenting to an apheresis unit for collection of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) via peripheral blood apheresis. The donor receives mobilization therapy (commonly granulocyte colony-stimulating factor) per the transplant center protocol for 4–5 days prior to collection. On the day of service the donor undergoes pre-procedure evaluation including vital signs, complete blood count, fluid status assessment, and central or peripheral venous access assessment. The apheresis team establishes vascular access (peripheral large-bore IVs or a central venous catheter if needed), connects the donor to an apheresis machine, and performs serial blood processing cycles to collect CD34+ enriched peripheral blood stem cells into a collection bag. Anticoagulant (e.g., ACD-A) is administered through the apheresis circuit. The procedure typically lasts 2–6 hours depending on target CD34+ cell dose, donor hematocrit, and flow rates. Post-procedure care includes monitoring for citrate toxicity, hemostasis at access sites, fluid replacement, and a post-collection complete blood count. Collected product is labeled, transported to the processing/transplant lab, and may undergo cryopreservation or immediate infusion for the recipient. Typical site of service is an outpatient apheresis center, blood center, hospital outpatient infusion suite, or specialized transplant unit. The service type is therapeutic/procedural outpatient apheresis for HPC collection. Donor or autologous scenarios: for autologous collections the patient is the recipient’s donor; for allogeneic collections the donor is separate from the transplant recipient.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    38206Collection of hematopoietic progenitor cells from peripheral blood or blood marrow, with cell processing (e.g., red cell reduction), when performedUsed when additional cell processing steps (such as volume reduction or product manipulation) are performed in conjunction with or after the apheresis collection.
    36556Insertion of non-tunneled centrally inserted central venous catheter; age 5 years or olderPerformed when central venous access is required for adequate apheresis blood flow and peripheral access is inadequate.
    36561Insertion of tunneled central venous catheter, without subcutaneous port or pumpUsed when a longer-term tunneled catheter is placed for multiple collections or stem cell therapies.
    36415Collection of venous blood by venipuncturePerformed for pre-procedure laboratory testing such as CBC, infectious disease testing, and donor screening.
    86900Cell separation procedures, blood, including immunologic, not otherwise specifiedRelated laboratory/service code for specialized cell processing or laboratory analysis associated with HPC collections.

    Related Modifiers

    10 rows

    ModifierDescriptionWhen to Use
    26Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical…- Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a…
    52Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
    53Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
    54Modifier ‑54 (“Surgical care only”) is appended to a CPT surgical procedure when the reporting surgeon performs the intraoperative (surgical) component but does not furnish the preoperative and/or…- Use modifier -54 when the reporting surgeon provided only the intraoperative (surgical) component of a procedure and preoperative and/or postoperative management has been or will be provided by…
    55Modifier –55 indicates the billing provider furnished only postoperative management for a procedure that has a global surgical period. According to AAPC, this modifier is appended to the same CPT…- Use modifier -55 when billing the same CPT surgical code that has a 10- or 90-day global period and you, as a provider other than the original surgeon, furnished ONLY postoperative management (no…
    62Modifier 62 indicates that two surgeons function as co‑surgeons, each performing distinct parts of the same primary surgical procedure. It is appended to the primary procedure code (and any…- Use modifier -62 when two surgeons act as co‑surgeons (both primary surgeons) on a single definitive primary procedure, each performing distinct parts of the same surgical procedure (append -62 to…
    66Modifier 66 (Surgical Team) is used when three or more surgeons act as primary surgeons on a single, highly complex procedure. The AMA defines it for use when a surgical team — often composed of…- Use modifier 66 when three or more surgeons act as primary surgeons working collaboratively as a surgical team on a single, highly complex or difficult procedure (for example organ…
    73Modifier 73 indicates a facility-level outpatient hospital or ASC procedure that was discontinued after the patient was prepared and taken to the procedure/operating room but before any anesthesia…- When to use: Apply CPT modifier 73 on the FACILITY (outpatient hospital or ASC) claim when the patient has been fully prepared and physically taken into the procedure/operating room but the…
    78CPT modifier -78 indicates an unplanned, related return to the operating or procedure room by the same provider during the global postoperative period. It is appended when treatment for a…- Use modifier -78 when an unplanned, related complication during the original procedure’s global postoperative period requires the patient to return to a formal operating or procedure room and the…
    80CPT® Modifier 80 (Assistant Surgeon) is appended to a surgical CPT code when a physician (MD or DO) provides full, continuous assistance throughout the operative procedure. It is intended only for…- Use CPT Modifier -80 when a physician (MD or DO) serves as an assistant surgeon and provides full, continuous assistance throughout the entire operative procedure; append -80 to the surgical CPT…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy Code
    207RH0000X
    208000000X
    2084P0800X
    208D00000X
    367A00000X
    2084N0008X
    251B00000X
    207SM0001X

    Related ICD-10-CM Codes

    24 rows

    ICD-10-CM CodeDescription
    C81.90Hodgkin lymphoma, unspecified, unspecified site
    C84.90Mature T/NK-cell lymphomas, unspecified, unspecified site
    C90.00Multiple myeloma not having achieved remission
    C91.00Acute lymphoblastic leukemia not having achieved remission
    C91.01Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, in remission
    C91.02Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, in relapse
    C92.10Chronic myeloid leukemia, BCR/ABL-positive, not having achieved remission
    C92.11Chronic myeloid leukemia, BCR/ABL-positive, in remission
    C93.10Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia not having achieved remission
    C95.00Acute leukemia of unspecified cell type not having achieved remission

    Showing 1–10 of 24

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: Hematology/Oncology1 / 3

    10 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Bendamustine Products Coverage Criteriablue cross blue shield - tennessee2027-01-30
    T-Cell Lymphoma Agents: Beleodaq, Istodax, Lymphir, Poteligeo, and RomidepsinMass General Brigham Health Plan2027-01-04
    Brentuximab Vedotin (Adcetris®) Coverage Criteriablue cross blue shield - tennessee2026-12-31
    Pemetrexed Coverageblue cross blue shield - tennessee2026-12-31
    Tumor Treatment Fields - Medical PolicyHealth-New-England2026-12-01
    Extracorporeal PhotopheresisCigna2026-11-15
    VonvendiCigna2026-11-15
    Hematology - AphexdaCigna2026-11-15
    Extracorporeal PhotopheresisCigna2026-11-15
    Yartemlea (narsoplimab-wuug) Coverage for TA-TMANeighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island2026-11-01

    Related Codes

    CPT-38204-DONOR-SEARCH-HPC-ACQUISITION-MANAGEMENT

    CPT 38204: Donor Search and Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Acquisition

    CPT-38206-AUTOLOGOUS-HPC-APHERESIS-COLLECTION

    CPT 38206: Autologous Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Apheresis

    CPT-38207-HEMATOPOIETIC-PROGENITOR-CELL-PRESERVATION-STORAGE

    CPT 38207: Management of Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Preservation

    CPT-38208-THAW-PREPARATION-HEMATOPOIETIC-PROGENITOR-CELLS

    CPT 38208: Thawing of Previously Frozen Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells

    CPT-38209-HPC-THAWING-AND-WASHING-FOR-TRANSPLANTATION

    CPT 38209: Thaw and Wash Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells for Transplant

    CPT-38210-T-CELL-DEPLETED-HEMATOPOIETIC-PROGENITOR-CELL-PREPARATION

    CPT 38210: T-Cell–Reduced Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Preparation

    CPT-38211-HEMATOPOIETIC-PROGENITOR-CELL-TUMOR-REDUCTION-PROCESSING

    CPT 38211: Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Enrichment and Tumor Depletion

    CPT-38212-HPC-RED-CELL-DEPLETION-PREPARATION

    CPT 38212: HPC Red Cell Depletion for Transplant Preparation

    CPT-38213-HPC-SOLUTION-PREPARATION-PLATELET-REDUCTION

    CPT 38213: Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Preparation to Reduce Platelets

    CPT-38214-HPC-MINIMAL-PLASMA-VOLUME-PREPARATION

    CPT 38214: Preparation of HPCs to Minimal Plasma Volume

    Showing 1–10 of 20

    Frequently Asked Questions

    References

    1. 1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
    2. 2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
    3. 3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.
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