Lab & pathology
85025 — Complete blood count (CBC) with differential
Standard CBC with differential — counts and analyzes blood cells. Common, low-cost, but often duplicated on bills.
- Typical setting: Lab / outpatient
- National avg charge (illustrative): Insurance allowed $7–$15; cash $20–$80.
- Most-disputed reason: Duplicate billing across departments on the same day.
What it means
What 85025 actually means
CPT 85025 is the Complete Blood Count with differential — a routine blood test that measures red cells, white cells, platelets, and breaks down the white-cell types. It's almost always inexpensive at the lab level.
Common errors with this code
What goes wrong on real bills.
Most bills that look correct still contain at least one of these issues. Up to 49% of medical bills contain errors (CFPB).
- Duplicate 85025 charges from a single blood draw, often appearing under different department codes.
- Hospital lab marking up the CBC 10–20x reference-lab pricing.
- Billed with 85027 (CBC without diff) on the same day as a related-but-separate CBC, when only one was needed.
- Coded under an unsupported diagnosis, triggering insurer denial.
If you see 85025 on your bill
Three steps before paying.
1. Get the itemized bill. If your statement only shows a summary, request the CPT-level itemized bill before paying. Generate the request language →
2. Cross-check against the EOB. Compare what your insurer's Explanation of Benefits says you owe versus what the hospital is asking. They disagree more often than people think. Read the bill-vs-EOB guide →
3. Run a free Bill Scan. Upload the bill (and EOB if you have it) and BillBusted will flag the most likely issues with this specific code in your specific state. Run free scan →
Related codes
Other codes in this category.
People who land on 85025 often also see these adjacent codes on the same bill.
CPT
80050 — General health panel; includes CBC w/diff, CMP, TSH
Lab — check for unbundling and duplicate billing.
CPT
80051 — Electrolyte panel; CO2, chloride, potassium, sodium
Lab — check for unbundling and duplicate billing.
CPT
80053 — Comprehensive metabolic panel
If individual blood tests are also on your bill, you may have an unbundling error.
CPT
80055 — Obstetric panel; CBC w/diff, HBsAg, rubella Ab, syphilis, RBC Ab screen, ABO/Rh
Lab — check for unbundling and duplicate billing.
CPT
80061 — Lipid panel (cholesterol)
If you see HDL or LDL listed separately next to 80061, that's unbundling.
Related BillBusted guides
Plain-English reads if you see 85025 on a bill.
85025 FAQ
Plain-English answers.
Why are there two CBCs on my bill?
Sometimes a CBC is genuinely repeated (hospital admission and ICU transfer, e.g.). But most duplicate CBCs on a single day are billing errors. Ask the lab to reconcile against the actual draw record.
Don't pay 85025 blindly.
The free scan tells you in under 60 seconds whether this charge looks reasonable for your situation.