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CPT 86905: Non-ABO, Non-RhD Blood Group Antigen Typing, Serum
CPT code 86905 designates a laboratory test that types a patient’s blood group for antigens other than ABO or RhD using serum. This immunohematology procedure is important for transfusion planning, antibody identification, and specialized compatibility testing. Nationally, accurate antigen typing supports patient safety in transfusion medicine and prenatal care.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context for antigen typing, typical sites of service, common associated diagnoses encountered in practice, and connections to related hematology and blood bank codes. The publication summarizes payor coverage considerations and common billing modifiers that appear with laboratory services, and it links 86905 to related CPT tests such as 86904, 86906, 86901, and 86903 for clinical and coding context.
This report is aimed at laboratory managers, coding specialists, and policy analysts seeking a national perspective on where 86905 fits in clinical workflows, how it is used alongside other blood typing procedures, and what components of care it represents. Data not available in the input regarding utilization benchmarks and payer-specific reimbursement levels.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 86905 describes a laboratory procedure in which a lab analyst types or identifies a patient’s blood group based on a non-ABO, non-RhD antigen present on the surface of red blood cells using serum as the specimen. The service is a blood group antigen typing test that evaluates specific red blood cell antigens other than ABO and RhD.
Service type: Immunohematology / Blood bank testing
Typical site of service: Clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Commercial reimbursement for CPT 86905 centers on a BUCA average of $16.7, while individual national payers diverge notably. Blue Cross Blue Shield posts the highest central tendency with a median of $26.3 and a mean of $26.5, Cigna and Aetna cluster at lower means ($4.5 and $2.9 respectively), and UnitedHealth Group sits near the lower-middle with a mean of $3.4. BUCA’s $16.7 average positions it between Blue Cross Blue Shield and the other national carriers, reflecting a mid-market commercial rate.
Dispersion (P75 minus P25) highlights where rates are tight or wide: Blue Cross Blue Shield’s dispersion is $14.9 ($33.8 - $19.9), BUCA’s interquartile spread is $8.8 ($21.1 - $12.3), Cigna’s spread is $3.1 ($5.6 - $2.5), UnitedHealth Group’s spread is $2.2 ($3.9 - $1.7), and Aetna’s is $1.2 ($3.2 - $2.0). Blue Cross Blue Shield exhibits the widest P25–P75 spread, while Aetna and UnitedHealth Group are the tightest among the listed payers.