Summary & Overview
CPT 88240: Cryopreservation and Storage of Cell Line
CPT code 88240 covers the cryopreservation and storage of cell lines — the controlled freezing of cells to preserve samples for future testing or research. This service supports clinical laboratories, pathology departments, and biorepositories by enabling long-term stability of cellular material used in diagnostics, translational research, and therapeutic development. Nationally, consistent coding for cryopreservation matters for laboratory workflow, inventory management, and accurate claims processing.
Key payers referenced in the analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise briefing on the clinical context of cryopreservation, the typical service setting, and the administrative considerations tied to CPT code 88240. The publication summarizes common billing practices, payer coverage patterns where available, and how this code fits into laboratory and specimen management workflows. It also highlights areas where payers commonly require documentation and outlines what benchmarks and policy updates readers can expect to find in the full report. Data not available in the input will be noted as such in the detailed sections of the publication.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 88240 describes the cryopreservation of a cell line: the analyst freezes and stores a cell line at very low temperatures to stabilize and preserve samples for future use or testing. This procedure stabilizes biological material for long-term storage and future laboratory analyses.
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Service type: Cryopreservation and long-term biological sample storage
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Typical site of service: Clinical laboratory or specialized biorepository facility
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient scenario involves a research or clinical laboratory receiving a biologic specimen—such as cultured tumor cells, primary patient-derived cells, stem cells, or a laboratory-established cell line—requiring long-term preservation for future testing, therapeutic development, or archiving. A laboratory scientist or cell culture technologist prepares a sterile aliquot of the cell suspension, adds a validated cryoprotectant (commonly dimethyl sulfoxide with appropriate serum or defined media), loads labeled cryovials or cryobags, and performs a controlled-rate freezing protocol before placing samples into liquid nitrogen vapor or mechanical ultra-low temperature storage. Documentation includes specimen identifiers, cell line source, volume and cell concentration, cryoprotectant composition, freezing method, storage location and accession number, and the identity of personnel performing the procedure. Typical site of service is an outpatient clinical laboratory, research facility, hospital laboratory, or tissue bank. The service is billed when a laboratory analyst performs the cryopreservation and storage of a cell line for future use in testing, research, or therapy preparation.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | When reporting only the professional component of a service if applicable (rare for lab preservation). |