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    v1.0.30
    OpenPayerBilling CodesClinical Pathology ConsultationsCPT cpt-80503-pathology-consultation-limited-straightforward
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    CPT 80503: Pathologist Consultation, Straightforward Medical Judgment

    Medicare pays $27 on average nationally for this procedure.

    CPT code 80503 describes a pathologist consultation requested by a physician or other qualified healthcare provider for a clinical problem requiring straightforward medical judgment, involving a limited review of the patient history and medical records and typically documented as 5–20 minutes on the consultation date; the service type is a pathology consultation and the typical site of service is a hospital or outpatient pathology/laboratory setting.

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Long-Acting Injectable Antiretroviral Agents for HIV, B-Hemolytic Streptococcus Testing, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) — Coverage Criteria for Testing and Resistance Assays.

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    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A 62-year-old man with a recent abnormal serum protein electrophoresis result is referred by his primary oncologist for a pathology consultation to help interpret discrepant laboratory findings. The requesting clinician transmits limited clinical information and relevant laboratory data. The pathologist reviews the patient’s brief chart, prior pathology reports, and the current diagnostic test results, then communicates a focused consultative opinion to clarify the nature of the abnormality. The interaction requires straightforward medical judgment and is completed within 5–20 minutes on the consultation date. Typical workflow: the ordering clinician requests the consult; the pathologist reviews limited history and records, examines the available test results (laboratory values, images or slides if provided), documents the consultation note and time spent, and provides a consultative interpretation or recommendation to the requesting clinician. Typical site of service is an outpatient pathology or clinical laboratory consultation, or an inpatient consult documented in the hospital medical record when rapid clarification of diagnostic test findings is needed. Clinicians who commonly request this consult include internists, oncologists, hematologists, and surgeons; the consultant pathologist documents the limited review and the timeframe to support use of 80503.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    80500At the request of a physician or other qualified healthcare provider, the pathologist performs a consultation for a clinical problem requiring limited medical judgment to help clarify diagnostic test findings; includes limited review of history and may be selected when <5 minutes documented on the consultation dateUsed for very brief consults that require less than 5 minutes of documented time; alternative to 80503 when time is shorter
    80504At the request of a physician or other qualified healthcare provider, the pathologist performs a consultation for a clinical problem requiring moderate complexity medical judgment to help clarify diagnostic test findings; includes review of history and medical records, or may be selected based on 21–40 minutes documented on the consultation dateSelected when the consultation requires more than 20 minutes and involves moderate complexity, representing escalation from 80503
    80505At the request of a physician or other qualified healthcare provider, the pathologist performs a consultation for a clinical problem requiring high complexity medical judgment to help clarify diagnostic test findings; includes comprehensive review of history and medical records, or may be selected based on >40 minutes documented on the consultation dateUsed when the consultation is complex and time-consuming, typically following or instead of 80503 when extensive review is required
    88305Level IV surgical pathology, gross and microscopic examinationPerformed on tissue specimens that may prompt a consult under 80503 when interpretations are unclear
    80053Comprehensive metabolic panelCommon laboratory testing whose abnormal results may trigger a pathology consultation to interpret unexpected findings

    Related Modifiers

    7 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…
    59Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
    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…
    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…
    90Modifier ‑90 (Reference/Outside Laboratory) indicates that a laboratory test was performed by an entity other than the treating or reporting provider. The American Medical Association defines…- Use CPT modifier -90 when a laboratory test is performed by an outside/reference laboratory (an entity other than the treating or reporting physician or qualified professional) and the claim needs…
    91Modifier 91 — “Repeat Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Test” — is appended when the exact same CPT laboratory test is performed more than once for the same patient on the same day because serial,…- Use modifier 91 when the exact same CPT laboratory test is performed more than once on the same patient on the same date because serial or repeated testing is medically necessary to monitor…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy Code
    207K00000X
    207L00000X
    208100000X
    207N00000X
    208000000X
    224ZF0002X
    235Z00000X
    2471C3401X

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: Infectious Disease1 / 3

    10 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Long-Acting Injectable Antiretroviral Agents for HIVColorado Rocky Mountain Health Plans2026-10-01
    B-Hemolytic Streptococcus TestingOscar Health2026-10-01
    Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) — Coverage Criteria for Testing and Resistance AssaysOscar Health2026-10-01
    Hepatitis Testing (A, B, C, D) Coverage CriteriaOscar Health2026-10-01
    Lyme Disease Testing Coverage CriteriaOscar Health2026-10-01
    Pathogen Panel TestingOscar Health2026-10-01
    Diagnostic Testing of Common Sexually Transmitted InfectionsOscar Health2026-10-01
    Coronavirus Testing in the Outpatient SettingOscar Health2026-10-01
    Testing for Vector-Borne InfectionsOscar Health2026-10-01
    Testing for Diagnosis of Active or Latent TuberculosisOscar Health2026-10-01

    Related Codes

    CPT-80504-PATHOLOGY-CONSULTATION-MODERATE-COMPLEXITY

    CPT 80504: Pathology Consultation, Moderate Complexity

    CPT-80505-PATHOLOGY-CONSULTATION-HIGH-COMPLEXITY-41-60-MINUTES

    CPT 80505: Pathology Consultation, High Complexity

    CPT-80506-PATHOLOGY-CONSULTATION-ADD-ON-EXTENDED-TIME

    CPT 80506: Pathology Consultation, Additional 30-Minute Unit

    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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