Summary & Overview
CPT 86927: Thawing Frozen Plasma for Transfusion or Testing
CPT code 86927 denotes the laboratory action of thawing a unit of frozen plasma, a routine step in preparing plasma for transfusion or laboratory assays. Nationally, this code captures a discrete, trackable service in blood bank and transfusion workflows and is relevant to facility billing, inventory management, and clinical readiness for emergent or scheduled plasma administration.
Key payers considered in the analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Coverage and payment for this discrete handling service affect hospitals, hospital-based blood banks, and standalone laboratories that perform blood product preparation.
Readers will find a concise briefing on the clinical context for thawing frozen plasma, the typical sites of service, and why explicit coding matters for claims clarity and operational accounting. The publication also summarizes common modifiers and payer considerations where available, outlines where input data are missing, and points to related service lines and codes for further review. The focus is national in scope and is intended to inform billing staff, revenue cycle managers, and laboratory administrators about the role of CPT code 86927 in blood product processing workflows.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 86927 describes a laboratory service in which a lab analyst thaws a unit of frozen plasma. This service is part of blood product handling and preparation for transfusion or laboratory testing.
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Service type: Blood product processing / transfusion specimen preparation
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Typical site of service: Hospital blood bank, hospital laboratory, standalone transfusion service or reference laboratory
Data not available in the input.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 62-year-old hospitalized patient with active gastrointestinal bleeding is ordered to receive thawed frozen plasma prior to or during a transfusion to correct coagulopathy. The transfusion service receives the order from the treating team; the blood bank technologist or laboratory analyst locates an appropriate unit of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) or plasma frozen within 24 hours of collection, removes it from cryogenic storage, and performs a controlled thawing process in a validated plasma thawing device. The technician inspects the unit for leaks or clots, documents thaw time, expiration time, and lot identifiers in the laboratory information system, and releases the unit to the clinical area with appropriate temperature and transport documentation. The typical site of service is the hospital blood bank or hospital laboratory supporting inpatient transfusion services. Typical patient scenario: a patient in an acute care setting with elevated INR due to warfarin therapy or liver failure, trauma with massive transfusion protocol activation, or perioperative coagulation management where thawed plasma is required urgently at bedside or in the operating room.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | Invalid/Not used for claims | Not used in billing practice; present in modifier list but not applied to claims |
22 |