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CPT 89055: Stool Leukocyte Analysis

CPT code 89055 denotes a technical laboratory procedure to detect leukocytes in a stool specimen, reported as positive/negative or with a semiquantitative result. This test is clinically relevant for evaluating inflammatory causes of gastrointestinal symptoms and can influence diagnostic workups for infections or inflammatory bowel disease. Nationally, it is a routine laboratory service performed in clinical and hospital laboratories and is part of standard stool testing panels in acute and outpatient settings.

Key payers in standard coverage reviews include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context for CPT code 89055, typical sites of service, common billing modifiers (listed separately), and the scope of services the code represents. The publication also highlights benchmarks and policy considerations relevant to payer coverage, coding best practices, and operational implications for laboratory service lines.

This summary is intended to orient billing professionals, laboratory managers, and policy analysts to the clinical purpose and billing identity of CPT code 89055, and to indicate what is available versus what input data did not provide.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 89055 describes a laboratory technical procedure in which a lab analyst examines a stool specimen for the presence of leukocytes. The test reports either a positive/negative result or a semiquantitative finding (for example, one-plus or moderate amount), indicating whether leukocytes are present in the specimen.

Service Type: Clinical laboratory test — stool leukocyte analysis

Typical Site of Service: Clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory

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CPT 89055: Stool Leukocyte Analysis

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Get alerted when payer policies referencing 89055 are released or updated.

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Billing Code Overview

Service Type: Clinical laboratory test — stool leukocyte analysis

Typical Site of Service: Clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient is an adult presenting to an outpatient clinic or emergency department with acute onset of diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, or suspected infectious gastroenteritis. The clinician collects a stool specimen to evaluate for the presence of fecal leukocytes as part of an initial stool workup to help distinguish inflammatory (bacterial or invasive) diarrhea from noninflammatory causes (viral, toxin-mediated). The specimen is delivered to the clinical laboratory where a laboratory analyst performs the technical test to detect leukocytes in the stool and reports results as negative, positive, or semiquantitative (e.g., 1+ to 3+). Results inform further diagnostic steps such as stool culture, ova and parasite testing, molecular pathogen panels, or initiation of targeted therapy. Typical site of service is the hospital laboratory, outpatient clinic laboratory, or independent clinical laboratory associated with a medical office or emergency department.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	Use when billing only the professional interpretation component (if applicable) — rarely used for this purely technical lab test.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the test is partially performed or truncated for clinical reasons.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use if testing was begun but discontinued due to specimen issues or patient factors.
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use when this test is separately identifiable from other lab procedures performed the same day.
`62`	Two surgeons	Not commonly used for lab tests; include only if two clinicians share distinct responsibilities for service coordination.
`90`	Reference (outside) lab	Use when the specimen is sent to an outside commercial or reference laboratory for analysis.
`TC`	Technical component	Use when billing only the technical component of the laboratory analysis (most applicable for `89055`).
`QW`	CLIA waived test	Use when the facility performs a CLIA-waived method for fecal leukocyte testing and payer requires the modifier.
`QK`	CLIA complexity-based modifier - high complexity	Use when the laboratory testing meets high-complexity CLIA criteria and payer requires reporting.
`QX`	CLIA-certified independent lab billing under arrangement	Use when an independent CLIA-certified lab performs the test under an arrangement and payer requires this modifier.
`AS`	Physician waiver of liability	Use when service is performed at beneficiary’s request with prior notice and financial liability is assumed by patient (rare for labs).

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207P00000X	Pathology	Laboratory directors and pathologists overseeing stool testing workflows.
207Q00000X	Clinical Laboratory	Clinical laboratory scientists and managers performing and supervising the technical test.
208000000X	Family Medicine	Primary care clinicians ordering stool leukocyte testing for acute diarrhea.
207R00000X	Infectious Disease	Specialists ordering stool studies for complicated or persistent infections.
207L00000X	Gastroenterology	Gastroenterologists evaluating inflammatory versus noninflammatory diarrhea.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`A09`	Infectious gastroenteritis and colitis, unspecified	Common indication for stool leukocyte testing to differentiate inflammatory from noninflammatory causes.
`A04.7`	Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile	Fecal leukocyte testing may be part of workup when C. difficile infection is suspected; guides further targeted testing.
`A02.0`	Salmonella enteritis	Bacterial enteric infections like Salmonella often produce fecal leukocytes, supporting need for culture or molecular testing.
`A04.3`	Shigellosis	Shigella typically causes inflammatory diarrhea with fecal leukocytes; positive result supports pathogen-directed diagnostics.
`K52.9`	Noninfective gastroenteritis and colitis, unspecified	Used when inflammation is suspected but an infectious cause is not identified; stool leukocytes may be negative or low.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`81002`	Urinalysis, by dip stick or tablet reagent; non-automated, without microscopy	Often performed in the same outpatient visit as basic infectious workup but not directly related to stool leukocyte testing.
`82270`	Stools for occult blood; qualitative immunoassay, by enzyme immunoassay (EIA)	Commonly ordered alongside fecal leukocytes to assess for gastrointestinal bleeding when evaluating diarrhea.
`87045`	Culture, bacterial; stool, routine, with isolation and presumptive identification of colonies	Ordered when fecal leukocytes are present to identify bacterial enteric pathogens.
`87205`	Smear, primary source with interpretation; Gram or other stain, each source	May be used for microscopic examination of stool smears when leukocytes are suspected and direct microscopic evaluation is required.
`87471`	Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); Clostridium difficile, toxin B, amplified probe technique	Molecular testing often follows a positive fecal leukocyte test to identify specific pathogens such as C. difficile.

CPT 89049: Caffeine Halothane Contracture Test for Malignant Hyperthermia

CPT-89050-CSF-JOINT-FLUID-CELL-COUNT

CPT 89050: Cell Count of Cerebrospinal or Joint Fluid

CPT-89051-BODY-FLUID-CELL-COUNT-DIFFERENTIAL-NON-BLOOD

CPT 89051: Body Fluid Cell Count with Differential (Non-Blood)

CPT-89060-MICROSCOPIC-CRYSTAL-ANALYSIS-TISSUE-BODY-FLUID

CPT 89060: Microscopic Crystal Analysis of Tissue or Body Fluid

CPT-89125-FAT-STAIN-STOOL-URINE-RESPIRATORY-SPECIMEN

CPT 89125: Fat Stain of Stool, Urine, or Respiratory Secretions

CPT-89160-FECAL-MUSCLE-FIBER-MICROSCOPY

CPT 89160: Stool Microscopy for Muscle Fibers After Meat Consumption

CPT-89190-NASAL-SMEAR-EOSINOPHIL-ANALYSIS

CPT 89190: Nasal Smear for Eosinophil Detection

CPT-89220-ASSISTED-SPUTUM-INDUCTION-AEROSOL-MIST

CPT 89220: Assisted Sputum Induction Using Aerosol Mist

CPT-89230-SWEAT-COLLECTION-BY-IONTOPHORESIS

CPT 89230: Sweat Collection by Iontophoresis

CPT-89240-UNLISTED-PATHOLOGY-PROCEDURE

CPT 89240: Unlisted Pathology Procedure

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
`26`	Professional component	Use when billing only the professional interpretation component (if applicable) — rarely used for this purely technical lab test.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the test is partially performed or truncated for clinical reasons.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use if testing was begun but discontinued due to specimen issues or patient factors.
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use when this test is separately identifiable from other lab procedures performed the same day.
`62`	Two surgeons	Not commonly used for lab tests; include only if two clinicians share distinct responsibilities for service coordination.
`90`	Reference (outside) lab	Use when the specimen is sent to an outside commercial or reference laboratory for analysis.
`TC`	Technical component	Use when billing only the technical component of the laboratory analysis (most applicable for `89055`).
`QW`	CLIA waived test	Use when the facility performs a CLIA-waived method for fecal leukocyte testing and payer requires the modifier.
`QK`	CLIA complexity-based modifier - high complexity	Use when the laboratory testing meets high-complexity CLIA criteria and payer requires reporting.
`QX`	CLIA-certified independent lab billing under arrangement	Use when an independent CLIA-certified lab performs the test under an arrangement and payer requires this modifier.
`AS`	Physician waiver of liability	Use when service is performed at beneficiary’s request with prior notice and financial liability is assumed by patient (rare for labs).

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207P00000X	Pathology	Laboratory directors and pathologists overseeing stool testing workflows.
207Q00000X	Clinical Laboratory	Clinical laboratory scientists and managers performing and supervising the technical test.
208000000X	Family Medicine	Primary care clinicians ordering stool leukocyte testing for acute diarrhea.
207R00000X	Infectious Disease	Specialists ordering stool studies for complicated or persistent infections.
207L00000X	Gastroenterology	Gastroenterologists evaluating inflammatory versus noninflammatory diarrhea.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`A09`	Infectious gastroenteritis and colitis, unspecified	Common indication for stool leukocyte testing to differentiate inflammatory from noninflammatory causes.
`A04.7`	Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile	Fecal leukocyte testing may be part of workup when C. difficile infection is suspected; guides further targeted testing.
`A02.0`	Salmonella enteritis	Bacterial enteric infections like Salmonella often produce fecal leukocytes, supporting need for culture or molecular testing.
`A04.3`	Shigellosis	Shigella typically causes inflammatory diarrhea with fecal leukocytes; positive result supports pathogen-directed diagnostics.
`K52.9`	Noninfective gastroenteritis and colitis, unspecified	Used when inflammation is suspected but an infectious cause is not identified; stool leukocytes may be negative or low.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`81002`	Urinalysis, by dip stick or tablet reagent; non-automated, without microscopy	Often performed in the same outpatient visit as basic infectious workup but not directly related to stool leukocyte testing.
`82270`	Stools for occult blood; qualitative immunoassay, by enzyme immunoassay (EIA)	Commonly ordered alongside fecal leukocytes to assess for gastrointestinal bleeding when evaluating diarrhea.
`87045`	Culture, bacterial; stool, routine, with isolation and presumptive identification of colonies	Ordered when fecal leukocytes are present to identify bacterial enteric pathogens.
`87205`	Smear, primary source with interpretation; Gram or other stain, each source	May be used for microscopic examination of stool smears when leukocytes are suspected and direct microscopic evaluation is required.
`87471`	Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); Clostridium difficile, toxin B, amplified probe technique	Molecular testing often follows a positive fecal leukocyte test to identify specific pathogens such as C. difficile.

CPT 89049: Caffeine Halothane Contracture Test for Malignant Hyperthermia

CPT-89050-CSF-JOINT-FLUID-CELL-COUNT

CPT 89050: Cell Count of Cerebrospinal or Joint Fluid

CPT-89051-BODY-FLUID-CELL-COUNT-DIFFERENTIAL-NON-BLOOD

CPT 89051: Body Fluid Cell Count with Differential (Non-Blood)

CPT-89060-MICROSCOPIC-CRYSTAL-ANALYSIS-TISSUE-BODY-FLUID

CPT 89060: Microscopic Crystal Analysis of Tissue or Body Fluid

CPT-89125-FAT-STAIN-STOOL-URINE-RESPIRATORY-SPECIMEN

CPT 89125: Fat Stain of Stool, Urine, or Respiratory Secretions

CPT-89160-FECAL-MUSCLE-FIBER-MICROSCOPY

CPT 89160: Stool Microscopy for Muscle Fibers After Meat Consumption

CPT-89190-NASAL-SMEAR-EOSINOPHIL-ANALYSIS

CPT 89190: Nasal Smear for Eosinophil Detection

CPT-89220-ASSISTED-SPUTUM-INDUCTION-AEROSOL-MIST

CPT 89220: Assisted Sputum Induction Using Aerosol Mist

CPT-89230-SWEAT-COLLECTION-BY-IONTOPHORESIS

CPT 89230: Sweat Collection by Iontophoresis

CPT-89240-UNLISTED-PATHOLOGY-PROCEDURE

CPT 89240: Unlisted Pathology Procedure

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 89055: Stool Leukocyte Analysis

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Billing Code Overview

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CPT 89055: Stool Leukocyte Analysis

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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