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CPT 86806: Serologic Crossmatch for Transplant Compatibility

CPT code 86806 represents a serologic crossmatch test in which donor lymphocytes are combined with recipient serum and microscopically observed for cell lysis to detect transplant incompatibility. This pre-transplant immunology assay is critical for identifying antibody-mediated risks that can lead to graft failure or immediate rejection, making it a key diagnostic step in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation workflows nationwide.

Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication provides a national overview useful to hospital laboratories, transplant programs, and billing professionals.

Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical context and service setting for CPT code 86806, an outline of common billing and coding considerations, and a summary of benchmarks and policy-relevant points where available. The report summarizes typical sites of service and the clinical rationale for testing, and it identifies areas where input data is not provided. Data not available in the input will be noted explicitly in the appropriate sections.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 86806 describes a laboratory compatibility test in which donor lymphocytes are mixed with recipient serum and observed microscopically for cell lysis, indicating potential transplant incompatibility. This is a serologic crossmatch procedure performed by a laboratory analyst to assess immunologic compatibility between donor and recipient prior to transplantation.

Service type: Immunology / Transfusion Medicine Diagnostic Test

Typical site of service: Hospital laboratory or independent clinical laboratory (specialty transplant laboratory)

Data not available in the input.

Find policies, billing codes, payers, states, and providers

CPT 86806: Serologic Crossmatch for Transplant Compatibility

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Immunology / Transfusion Medicine Diagnostic Test

Typical site of service: Hospital laboratory or independent clinical laboratory (specialty transplant laboratory)

Data not available in the input.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 48-year-old male with end-stage renal disease is being evaluated for a living-donor kidney transplant. The transplant team orders a crossmatch to assess immunologic compatibility between the prospective donor and recipient. The laboratory receives a sample of donor lymphocytes and recipient serum. The lab analyst performs a complement-dependent cytotoxicity crossmatch by mixing donor lymphocytes with recipient serum, incubating with complement, and microscopically observing for cell lysis. A positive cytotoxic reaction indicates preformed recipient antibodies against donor HLA and suggests transplant incompatibility, which informs organ allocation and immunosuppression planning. Typical workflow steps include sample collection and labeling, specimen accessioning, cell preparation, performing the cytotoxicity assay, microscopic read and documentation, and result reporting to the transplant clinician and transplant coordinator.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`11`	Office or other outpatient service as the professional component	Use when reporting the professional component is separately identified and performed by the billing physician or laboratorian interpreting the assay.
`26`	Professional component	Use when only the professional (interpretation) component of the test is billed by the physician.
`TC`	Technical component	Use when billing for the technical component only (laboratory processing, reagents, equipment) performed by the facility.
`90`	Reference (outside) laboratory	Use when the specimen was sent to an outside reference laboratory for testing.
`91`	Repeat clinical diagnostic laboratory test (Not provided in list)	Data not available in the input.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the test is partially reduced or not completed as originally intended.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when testing was initiated but discontinued for patient-related or specimen-related reasons.
`78`	Unplanned return to the operating/procedure room by the same physician following initial procedure (Not typically applicable)	Use rarely; generally not applicable to lab assays.
`90`	Duplicate entry avoided — already listed above	Duplicate omitted.
`AS`	Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist services for assistant at surgery	Not typically applicable to this laboratory procedure.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`0000C`	Immunology/Laboratory Medicine	Laboratory immunologists or clinical immunology specialists who perform transplant serology.
`350600000X`	Transplant Surgery	Transplant surgeons coordinate crossmatch testing and interpret results for surgical planning.
`207L00000X`	Nephrology	Nephrologists manage kidney transplant candidates and order crossmatch testing.
`208000000X`	Pathology	Anatomic and clinical pathologists oversee laboratory quality and reporting for serologic assays.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`Z94.0`	Kidney transplant status	Indicates a patient with prior or pending kidney transplant; crossmatch informs compatibility.
`Z48.21`	Encounter for aftercare following kidney transplant	Used for post-transplant immunologic monitoring, including crossmatch if graft dysfunction suspected.
`Z52.4`	Donors of kidney (living)	Pertains to living donors; donor samples are used in crossmatch testing.
`T86.10`	Unspecified complication of kidney transplant	When investigating possible rejection, crossmatch and antibody testing are relevant.
`Z03.89`	Encounter for observation for other suspected diseases and conditions	May be used when evaluating transplant candidates during compatibility workup.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`86806`	Test mixing donor lymphocytes with recipient serum and microscopic observation for cell lysis (complement-dependent cytotoxicity crossmatch)	Primary assay for detecting preformed cytotoxic donor-specific antibodies prior to transplant.
`86900`	Crossmatch test, lymphocyte (T-cell) cytotoxicity test	Often billed for similar or ancillary T-cell crossmatch techniques; may be used when specifying cell population.
`86901`	Crossmatch test, lymphocyte (B-cell) cytotoxicity test	B-cell crossmatch performed alongside T-cell testing to detect humoral sensitization.
`88148`	Flow cytometric analysis (transplant) (Not provided in input)	Data not available in the input.
`87205`	Culture or other microbiology tests (Not provided in input)	Data not available in the input.

CPT 86805: Donor Lymphocyte–Recipient Serum Crossmatch Test

CPT-86807-HLA-ANTIBODY-SCREENING-TRANSPLANT-COMPATIBILITY

CPT 86807: HLA Antibody Screening for Transplant Compatibility

CPT-86808-HLA-PERCENT-REACTIVE-ANTIBODY-SCREENING

CPT 86808: HLA Percent Reactive Antibody Screening

CPT-86812-HLA-CLASS-I-SINGLE-ANTIGEN-SEROLOGIC-TEST

CPT 86812: HLA Class I Single Antigen Serologic Test

CPT-86813-HLA-CLASS-I-SEROLOGIC-TYPING

CPT 86813: HLA Class I Serologic Antigen Typing

CPT-86816-HLA-CLASS-II-SEROLOGIC-SINGLE-ANTIGEN-TYPING-DR-DQ

CPT 86816: HLA Class II Serologic Typing, Single Antigen (DR or DQ)

CPT-86817-HLA-CLASS-II-DR-DQ-SEROLOGIC-IDENTIFICATION

CPT 86817: HLA Class II (DR/DQ) Serologic Identification

CPT-86821-HLA-LYMPHOCYTE-CROSSMATCH-COMPATIBILITY-TEST

CPT 86821: Lymphocyte Crossmatch for HLA Incompatibility

CPT-86825-HLA-CROSSMATCH-FLOW-CYTOMETRY

CPT 86825: HLA Crossmatch by Non-Cytotoxic Method (e.g., Flow Cytometry)

CPT-86826-HLA-CROSSMATCH-FLOW-CYTOMETRY-BASED-COMPATIBILITY-TEST

CPT 86826: HLA Crossmatch by Flow Cytometry or Other Non-Cytotoxic Method

Showing 1–10 of 19

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`11`	Office or other outpatient service as the professional component	Use when reporting the professional component is separately identified and performed by the billing physician or laboratorian interpreting the assay.
`26`	Professional component	Use when only the professional (interpretation) component of the test is billed by the physician.
`TC`	Technical component	Use when billing for the technical component only (laboratory processing, reagents, equipment) performed by the facility.
`90`	Reference (outside) laboratory	Use when the specimen was sent to an outside reference laboratory for testing.
`91`	Repeat clinical diagnostic laboratory test (Not provided in list)	Data not available in the input.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the test is partially reduced or not completed as originally intended.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when testing was initiated but discontinued for patient-related or specimen-related reasons.
`78`	Unplanned return to the operating/procedure room by the same physician following initial procedure (Not typically applicable)	Use rarely; generally not applicable to lab assays.
`90`	Duplicate entry avoided — already listed above	Duplicate omitted.
`AS`	Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist services for assistant at surgery	Not typically applicable to this laboratory procedure.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`0000C`	Immunology/Laboratory Medicine	Laboratory immunologists or clinical immunology specialists who perform transplant serology.
`350600000X`	Transplant Surgery	Transplant surgeons coordinate crossmatch testing and interpret results for surgical planning.
`207L00000X`	Nephrology	Nephrologists manage kidney transplant candidates and order crossmatch testing.
`208000000X`	Pathology	Anatomic and clinical pathologists oversee laboratory quality and reporting for serologic assays.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`Z94.0`	Kidney transplant status	Indicates a patient with prior or pending kidney transplant; crossmatch informs compatibility.
`Z48.21`	Encounter for aftercare following kidney transplant	Used for post-transplant immunologic monitoring, including crossmatch if graft dysfunction suspected.
`Z52.4`	Donors of kidney (living)	Pertains to living donors; donor samples are used in crossmatch testing.
`T86.10`	Unspecified complication of kidney transplant	When investigating possible rejection, crossmatch and antibody testing are relevant.
`Z03.89`	Encounter for observation for other suspected diseases and conditions	May be used when evaluating transplant candidates during compatibility workup.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`86806`	Test mixing donor lymphocytes with recipient serum and microscopic observation for cell lysis (complement-dependent cytotoxicity crossmatch)	Primary assay for detecting preformed cytotoxic donor-specific antibodies prior to transplant.
`86900`	Crossmatch test, lymphocyte (T-cell) cytotoxicity test	Often billed for similar or ancillary T-cell crossmatch techniques; may be used when specifying cell population.
`86901`	Crossmatch test, lymphocyte (B-cell) cytotoxicity test	B-cell crossmatch performed alongside T-cell testing to detect humoral sensitization.
`88148`	Flow cytometric analysis (transplant) (Not provided in input)	Data not available in the input.
`87205`	Culture or other microbiology tests (Not provided in input)	Data not available in the input.

CPT 86805: Donor Lymphocyte–Recipient Serum Crossmatch Test

CPT-86807-HLA-ANTIBODY-SCREENING-TRANSPLANT-COMPATIBILITY

CPT 86807: HLA Antibody Screening for Transplant Compatibility

CPT-86808-HLA-PERCENT-REACTIVE-ANTIBODY-SCREENING

CPT 86808: HLA Percent Reactive Antibody Screening

CPT-86812-HLA-CLASS-I-SINGLE-ANTIGEN-SEROLOGIC-TEST

CPT 86812: HLA Class I Single Antigen Serologic Test

CPT-86813-HLA-CLASS-I-SEROLOGIC-TYPING

CPT 86813: HLA Class I Serologic Antigen Typing

CPT-86816-HLA-CLASS-II-SEROLOGIC-SINGLE-ANTIGEN-TYPING-DR-DQ

CPT 86816: HLA Class II Serologic Typing, Single Antigen (DR or DQ)

CPT-86817-HLA-CLASS-II-DR-DQ-SEROLOGIC-IDENTIFICATION

CPT 86817: HLA Class II (DR/DQ) Serologic Identification

CPT-86821-HLA-LYMPHOCYTE-CROSSMATCH-COMPATIBILITY-TEST

CPT 86821: Lymphocyte Crossmatch for HLA Incompatibility

CPT-86825-HLA-CROSSMATCH-FLOW-CYTOMETRY

CPT 86825: HLA Crossmatch by Non-Cytotoxic Method (e.g., Flow Cytometry)

CPT-86826-HLA-CROSSMATCH-FLOW-CYTOMETRY-BASED-COMPATIBILITY-TEST

CPT 86826: HLA Crossmatch by Flow Cytometry or Other Non-Cytotoxic Method

Showing 1–10 of 19

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

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CPT 86806: Serologic Crossmatch for Transplant Compatibility

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Billing Code Overview

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CPT 86806: Serologic Crossmatch for Transplant Compatibility

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Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References

CPT 86806: Serologic Crossmatch for Transplant Compatibility

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Billing Code Overview

CPT 86806: Serologic Crossmatch for Transplant Compatibility

Sign up for cpt 86806 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

What procedure does CPT code 86806 represent and where is it typically performed?

Which modifiers are commonly used with 86806 and when should they be considered?

Are there other CPT codes commonly billed alongside or instead of 86806?

What ICD‑10 diagnoses are associated with use of CPT 86806?

Does the page provide payer coverage or reimbursement rates for 86806?

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

What procedure does CPT code 86806 represent and where is it typically performed?

Which modifiers are commonly used with 86806 and when should they be considered?

Are there other CPT codes commonly billed alongside or instead of 86806?

What ICD‑10 diagnoses are associated with use of CPT 86806?

Does the page provide payer coverage or reimbursement rates for 86806?

References