Summary & Overview
CPT 86808: HLA Percent Reactive Antibody Screening
CPT code 86808 denotes a laboratory screening for percent reactive antibody to donor human leukocyte antigens (HLA), used to assess the likelihood of transplant incompatibility. This immunogenetics assay is a critical step in pre-transplant evaluation because high levels of reactive antibodies correlate with increased risk of graft rejection and can determine donor eligibility. Nationally, accurate and timely use of this test supports transplant safety, organ allocation decisions, and appropriate patient counseling.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the clinical context for CPT code 86808, typical sites of service, and the primary reasons the assay matters for transplant programs and laboratories. The publication summarizes common billing modifiers and service-line considerations, highlights reimbursement and coverage themes across major payers, and outlines where this code fits within pre-transplant laboratory pathways. If certain administrative or clinical details were not provided in the source, the report notes that those specific items are not available in the input.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 86808 describes a laboratory screening test that measures the percent reactive antibody in a recipient's serum to potential donor human leukocyte antigens (HLA). The result indicates the likelihood of transplant incompatibility between donor and recipient.
Service type: Immunogenetics / Histocompatibility screening
Typical site of service: Clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 47-year-old woman with end-stage renal disease is evaluated for a potential kidney transplant from a living-related donor. Pre-transplant workup includes crossmatch and antibody assessment to evaluate immunologic compatibility. The clinical laboratory receives the recipient's serum and performs HLA antibody screening to determine the percent reactive antibody and identify donor-specific antibodies that would predict transplant incompatibility. Results guide transplant immunology teams in donor selection, virtual crossmatch decisions, and immunosuppression planning. Typical workflow: serum sample collection in an outpatient or hospital phlebotomy setting, transport to an immunology laboratory, testing by a histocompatibility technologist using solid-phase or cell-based assays, result interpretation by a laboratory director, and electronic reporting to the transplant program. Typical sites of service are hospital-based immunology laboratories, independent reference labs, or transplant center laboratories.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | Unchanged claim information | Rarely used; default for no modifier needed |
11 | Office or other outpatient service (default) |