Any users out there from a trauma center using liquid plasma? If so, what HCPCS code are you using to bill for the product. From the P codes that I reviewed in the 2010 HCPCS Level II all make reference to plasma that are either frozen within 8 hrs or within 8-24 hrs from collection. Our Blood Bank vendor will be manufacturing the product from whole blood and the plasma will be refrigerated.

You would need to determine whether the plasma was frozen within 8 hours or less than 24 hours and pick you P code based on that. I don't think the P codes note the length of time before transfusion the unit was thawed, but I don't have them right in front of me to check. I don't think we changed our billing when we went to thawed plasma instead of FFP.

The liquid plasma that our Blood Bank vendor will be manufacturing will not include any freezing process. After the plasma is expressed off the red cells, the liquid plasma is irradiated and refrigerated. The shelf life of the product will be 14 days

I don't have an answer to your billing question....but I'm a little baffled. Why use this product? Why would you prefer this over FFP or FP. If it is for coagulation protein this certainly is not the product of choice neither as a volume expander. Is it to save thawing time? There are a lot of plasma thawers i.e. microwave (FDA approved only and not kitchen microwave) and waterbath that thaws plasma <10 mins. I used to work in a Trauma center and we did not have this in our inventory. I would really like to know the appropriate use of this product.

Liquid plasma is primarily used in emergency situations;primarily trauma patients who massively require massive transfusion transfusions. Yes, you do circumvent the thaw process, it does provide volume expansion- electrolytes and albumin, as well as fibrinogen. As indicated on page 31 in the Circular of Information prepared by AABB, ARC, ABC,and the Armed Service Blood Program (Aug 2009):

Major Indications: Initial treatment of patients undergoing massive transfusion

Action/Recipient: Coag support for life threatening trauma/hemrrhages

It goes further goes on that it is contraindicated for treatment for coag factor deficencies.

i was curious about the coding of this product sooo I went searching. Codes I've seen all refer to frozen plasma, pooled or solvent-detergent treated anything but LP. What I've noticed which would be of interest to you is...there are a lot of Blood Centers who have posted the billing codes or have provided the information to their clients. Since your vendor want to sell this product to you, I think they can also provide the coding so you can get reimbursed. Either nobody has seen your post or nobody else uses this product. Goodluck!

rcracer09, we use this product and I will get that code and post for you.

HCPCS for liquid plasma is P9044

HCPCS for liquid plasma is P9044

When I looked this up, it said this is for Plasma, cryo reduced.

This was the HCPCS that the blood supplier gave me.

Two years later, I have the same question.  What HCPCS code is everyone using for liquid plasma?

We use P9059

P9044.  Our supplier provided it when they brought it in.