healthcare providers

Billing Codes

Over 28,000 caregivers have collected cord blood for Cord Blood Registry in over 3,500 hospitals located in all 50 states and more than 70 countries.

As a CBR provider, you can connect to the latest cord blood information, including patient status, education tracking, collection statistics, and much more.

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Billing Codes

With the rapid growth in patients choosing cord blood banking for their families, many caregivers have implemented billing protocols regarding fees for performing the cord blood collection procedure. Collection fees generally range from $125-250.

Billing Methods

  1. Fee-for-Service - Bill Your Patient Directly
    As cord blood banking is an elective procedure in most cases, and not routinely covered by insurance companies or included in maternity services, direct billing of the patient has proven to be the easiest and most effective method of billing. To avoid preauthorization and limited allowable amounts, we recommend that you bill your patients directly for the cord blood collection procedure and let them submit the bill to their insurance provider. This streamlines the process for your practice and is the best way to ensure prompt payment.
  2. Health Insurance - Bill Your Patient's Health Insurance Provider
    You may bill your patient's insurance company for the collection procedure. Cord blood collection fees should be billed separately from maternity care and delivery fees.

    Billing Codes

    There are no billing codes specific to cord blood collection. Codes that have been recommended by various coding sources are as follows:

    S2140   (cord blood harvesting for transplantation, allogeneic)
    59899   (unlisted procedure, maternity care and delivery)
    36406   (venipuncture, needle, or catheter for diagnostic study or intravenous
                 therapy, percutaneous (other vein))

    Sources: OB/GYN Coding Alert, OB/GYN Reimbursement and Compliance Report, Ingenix Coding, and the ACOG Coding Committee. Please note that CPT Code 38231 was discontinued in 2002. The November 2003 OB/GYN Reimbursement and Compliance Report strongly discourages the use of codes 38205 and 38206.

    If you have any questions regarding billing for cord blood collection, please contact Clinical Programs at 1-888-CORD BLOOD (888-267-3256), option 5. We look forward to continuing to serve your patients and practice, and we are always eager for suggestions to improve our process.