CPT code 85060: Blood smear, physician interpretation2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in New Mexico
Reports a physician’s interpretation of a peripheral blood smear, often after abnormal blood counts or findings raise questions about blood-cell morphology.
In New Mexico, Medicare pays $18.87 for 85060 in a facility. There’s no office rate.
Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 85060 nationwide
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
On this page 11 sections
What 85060 covers
A physician examines a peripheral blood film under a microscope and documents an interpretation of the blood-cell findings. Review may assess red-cell, white-cell, and platelet morphology when evaluating findings such as anemia, abnormal cell counts, or suspected blood disorders. Hematologists and pathologists commonly provide this interpretation in hospital laboratories and other clinical settings where a blood smear has been prepared for review.
Report 85060 for the physician’s interpretive service, supported by a written report describing the findings and clinical significance. The code represents physician interpretation; it is not a code for an automated blood count or simply for preparing a smear. The CMS fee schedule identifies it as a physician interpretation code, so payment is for that interpretive service rather than a separately identified technical component.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
How New Mexico compares for 85060
Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 85060 runs from $18.20 in Arkansas to $26.33 in Alaska. New Mexico pays $18.87. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.
- New Mexico · this page$18.87
- Los Angeles, CA · California$20.09+$1.22
- Washington, DC area · District of Columbia$20.56+$1.69
- Miami, FL · Florida$20.21+$1.34
- Chicago, IL · Illinois$20.02+$1.15
- Manhattan, NY · New York$20.97+$2.10
- Alaska · Alaska$26.33+$7.46
Other areas in New Mexico first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.
Every other payment area
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| AlabamaAlabama | — | $18.29 |
| ArkansasArkansas | — | $18.20 |
| ArizonaArizona | — | $18.83 |
| Bakersfield, CACalifornia | — | $19.41 |
| Chico, CACalifornia | — | $19.33 |
| El Centro, CACalifornia | — | $19.33 |
| Fresno, CACalifornia | — | $19.33 |
| Hanford, CACalifornia | — | $19.33 |
| Madera, CACalifornia | — | $19.33 |
| Merced, CACalifornia | — | $19.33 |
| Modesto, CACalifornia | — | $19.33 |
| Napa, CACalifornia | — | $20.80 |
| Oxnard, CACalifornia | — | $19.87 |
| Redding, CACalifornia | — | $19.33 |
| Rest of CaliforniaCalifornia | — | $19.33 |
| Riverside, CACalifornia | — | $19.56 |
| Sacramento, CACalifornia | — | $19.86 |
| Salinas, CACalifornia | — | $19.77 |
| San Diego, CACalifornia | — | $19.89 |
| Marin County, CACalifornia | — | $21.58 |
| San Francisco, CACalifornia | — | $21.56 |
| San Benito County, CACalifornia | — | $21.97 |
| Santa Clara County, CACalifornia | — | $21.88 |
| San Luis Obispo, CACalifornia | — | $19.49 |
| Santa Cruz, CACalifornia | — | $19.83 |
| Santa Maria, CACalifornia | — | $19.75 |
| Santa Rosa, CACalifornia | — | $20.01 |
| Stockton, CACalifornia | — | $19.33 |
| Vallejo, CACalifornia | — | $20.77 |
| Visalia, CACalifornia | — | $19.33 |
| Yuba City, CACalifornia | — | $19.33 |
| ColoradoColorado | — | $19.30 |
| ConnecticutConnecticut | — | $19.76 |
| DelawareDelaware | — | $19.00 |
| Fort Lauderdale, FLFlorida | — | $19.63 |
| Rest of FloridaFlorida | — | $19.21 |
| Atlanta, GAGeorgia | — | $19.28 |
| Rest of GeorgiaGeorgia | — | $18.77 |
| Hawaii, Guam, HIHawaii | — | $19.26 |
| IowaIowa | — | $18.32 |
| IdahoIdaho | — | $18.39 |
| East St. Louis, ILIllinois | — | $19.42 |
| Rest of IllinoisIllinois | — | $19.09 |
| Suburban Chicago, ILIllinois | — | $19.76 |
| IndianaIndiana | — | $18.43 |
| KansasKansas | — | $18.35 |
| KentuckyKentucky | — | $18.57 |
| New Orleans, LALouisiana | — | $18.91 |
| Rest of LouisianaLouisiana | — | $18.59 |
| Metropolitan Boston, MAMassachusetts | — | $20.28 |
| Rest of MassachusettsMassachusetts | — | $19.33 |
| Baltimore area, MDMaryland | — | $19.70 |
| Rest of MarylandMaryland | — | $19.17 |
| Rest of MaineMaine | — | $18.49 |
| Southern Maine, MEMaine | — | $18.76 |
| Detroit, MIMichigan | — | $19.37 |
| Rest of MichiganMichigan | — | $18.81 |
| MinnesotaMinnesota | — | $18.67 |
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MOMissouri | — | $18.80 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MOMissouri | — | $18.86 |
| Rest of MissouriMissouri | — | $18.51 |
| MississippiMississippi | — | $18.35 |
| MontanaMontana | — | $19.04 |
| North CarolinaNorth Carolina | — | $18.55 |
| North DakotaNorth Dakota | — | $18.64 |
| NebraskaNebraska | — | $18.34 |
| New HampshireNew Hampshire | — | $19.11 |
| Northern New JerseyNew Jersey | — | $20.60 |
| Rest of New JerseyNew Jersey | — | $20.03 |
| NevadaNevada | — | $18.93 |
| NYC suburbs and Long Island, NYNew York | — | $21.25 |
| Poughkeepsie and northern NYC suburbs, NYNew York | — | $20.19 |
| Queens, NYNew York | — | $20.94 |
| Rest of New YorkNew York | — | $18.66 |
| OhioOhio | — | $18.72 |
| OklahomaOklahoma | — | $18.50 |
| Portland, OROregon | — | $19.51 |
| Rest of OregonOregon | — | $18.83 |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia, PAPennsylvania | — | $19.58 |
| Rest of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania | — | $18.70 |
| Puerto RicoPuerto Rico | — | $19.07 |
| Rhode IslandRhode Island | — | $19.37 |
| South CarolinaSouth Carolina | — | $18.66 |
| South DakotaSouth Dakota | — | $18.59 |
| TennesseeTennessee | — | $18.39 |
| Austin, TXTexas | — | $19.20 |
| Beaumont, TXTexas | — | $18.66 |
| Brazoria, TXTexas | — | $18.98 |
| Dallas, TXTexas | — | $19.06 |
| Fort Worth, TXTexas | — | $19.03 |
| Galveston, TXTexas | — | $19.02 |
| Houston, TXTexas | — | $19.38 |
| Rest of TexasTexas | — | $18.79 |
| UtahUtah | — | $18.75 |
| VirginiaVirginia | — | $18.78 |
| Virgin Islands, VIUnited States Virgin Islands | — | $19.07 |
| VermontVermont | — | $18.67 |
| Rest of WashingtonWashington | — | $19.26 |
| King County, WAWashington | — | $20.49 |
| WisconsinWisconsin | — | $18.42 |
| West VirginiaWest Virginia | — | $18.85 |
| WyomingWyoming | — | $18.86 |
85060 rates by state
Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.
Explore a state
Local rates. Clear comparisons.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
View every state and territory as a table
| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | No published base rate | 1 |
| AL | No published base rate | 1 |
| AR | No published base rate | 1 |
| AZ | No published base rate | 1 |
| CA | No published base rate | 29 |
| CO | No published base rate | 1 |
| CT | No published base rate | 1 |
| DC | No published base rate | 1 |
| DE | No published base rate | 1 |
| FL | No published base rate | 3 |
| GA | No published base rate | 2 |
| GU | No published base rate | 1 |
| HI | No published base rate | 1 |
| IA | No published base rate | 1 |
| ID | No published base rate | 1 |
| IL | No published base rate | 4 |
| IN | No published base rate | 1 |
| KS | No published base rate | 1 |
| KY | No published base rate | 1 |
| LA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MD | No published base rate | 3 |
| ME | No published base rate | 2 |
| MI | No published base rate | 2 |
| MN | No published base rate | 1 |
| MO | No published base rate | 3 |
| MS | No published base rate | 1 |
| MT | No published base rate | 1 |
| NC | No published base rate | 1 |
| ND | No published base rate | 1 |
| NE | No published base rate | 1 |
| NH | No published base rate | 1 |
| NJ | No published base rate | 2 |
| NM | No published base rate | 1 |
| NV | No published base rate | 1 |
| NY | No published base rate | 5 |
| OH | No published base rate | 1 |
| OK | No published base rate | 1 |
| OR | No published base rate | 2 |
| PA | No published base rate | 2 |
| PR | No published base rate | 1 |
| RI | No published base rate | 1 |
| SC | No published base rate | 1 |
| SD | No published base rate | 1 |
| TN | No published base rate | 1 |
| TX | No published base rate | 8 |
| UT | No published base rate | 1 |
| VA | No published base rate | 2 |
| VI | No published base rate | 1 |
| VT | No published base rate | 1 |
| WA | No published base rate | 2 |
| WI | No published base rate | 1 |
| WV | No published base rate | 1 |
| WY | No published base rate | 1 |
How the 85060 rate is calculated
Each of 85060’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 85060
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.44
0.44 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.11
0.11 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.02
0.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.5700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$19.04
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
The exact New Mexico inputs and CMS source lines
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
10,494
- Code
- 85060
- Physician work
- 0.44
- Practice expense
- 0.11
- Malpractice
- 0.02
GPCI2026.csv
77
- Locality
- New Mexico
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.917
- Malpractice
- 1.201
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.44 | × 1.000 | 0.4400 |
| Practice expense | 0.11 | × 0.917 | 0.1009 |
| Malpractice | 0.02 | × 1.201 | 0.0240 |
| Total RVUs | 0.5649 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, New Mexico$18.87
Facility: (0.44 × 1 + 0.11 × 0.917 + 0.02 × 1.201) × $33.4009 = $18.87
Payment rules and modifiers for 85060
The CMS indicators that decide how 85060 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 85060
Blood smear, physician interpretation
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 8 | Physician interpretation. |
How 85060 has changed in New Mexico
85060 · Office / nonfacility
Rate unavailable
Effective 2026-10-01
A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.
One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.
What changed, release by release
| Effective from | Office | Facility | CMS release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $18.87 | RVU26D |
| 2026-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $18.87 | RVU26C |
| 2026-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $18.87 | RVU26B |
| 2026-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $18.87 | RVU26A |
| 2025-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $22.15 | RVU25D |
| 2025-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $22.15 | RVU25C |
| 2025-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $22.15 | RVU25B |
| 2025-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $22.15 | RVU25A |
| 2024-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $22.80 | RVU24D |
| 2024-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $22.80 | RVU24C |
| 2024-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $22.80 | RVU24B |
| 2024-03-09 | Not available in this setting | $22.80 | RVU24AR |
| 2024-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $22.43 | RVU24A |
| 2023-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $23.56 | RVU23D |
| 2023-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $23.56 | RVU23C |
| 2023-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $23.56 | RVU23B |
| 2023-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $23.56 | RVU23A |
| 2022-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.01 | RVU22D |
| 2022-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.01 | RVU22C |
| 2022-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.01 | RVU22B |
| 2022-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.01 | RVU22A |
| 2021-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.21 | RVU21D |
| 2021-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.21 | RVU21C |
| 2021-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.21 | RVU21B |
| 2021-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.21 | RVU21A |
| 2020-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.76 | RVU20D |
| 2020-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.76 | RVU20C |
| 2020-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.76 | RVU20B |
| 2020-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.76 | RVU20A |
| 2019-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.75 | RVU19D |
| 2019-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.75 | RVU19C |
| 2019-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.75 | RVU19B |
| 2019-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.75 | RVU19A |
| 2018-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $25.06 | RVU18D |
| 2018-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $25.06 | RVU18C |
| 2018-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $25.06 | RVU18B |
| 2018-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $25.06 | RVU18AR1 |
| 2017-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.94 | RVU17D |
| 2017-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.94 | RVU17C |
| 2017-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.94 | RVU17B |
| 2017-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.94 | RVU17A |
| 2016-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.84 | RVU16D |
| 2016-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.84 | RVU16C |
| 2016-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.84 | RVU16B |
| 2016-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.84 | RVU16A |
| 2015-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.60 | RVU15D |
| 2015-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.60 | RVU15C |
| 2015-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.48 | RVU15B |
| 2015-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.48 | RVU15A |
| 2014-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.19 | RVU14D |
| 2014-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.19 | RVU14C |
| 2014-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.19 | RVU14B |
| 2014-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $24.19 | RVU14A |
| 2013-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $23.50 | RVU13D |
| 2013-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $23.50 | RVU13C |
| 2013-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $23.50 | RVU13B |
| 2013-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $23.50 | RVU13AR |
Where the New Mexico rate applies
New Mexico is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 528 cities and communities in New Mexico. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.
- Abeytas
- Abiquiu
- Acomita Lake
- Adelino
- Agua Fria
- Alamillo
- Alamo
- Alamogordo
85060 billing questions
When should 85060 be reported instead of a manual differential?
Report 85060 for a physician’s documented interpretation of peripheral smear findings. A manual white-cell differential is a different service and should be selected when that count, rather than a physician interpretation, is performed.
Can 85060 be reported with a CBC?
A CBC may lead to a separate physician review of a peripheral smear. The record should support an actual interpretive service and report, not only the CBC result or analyzer output.
What documentation supports 85060?
Document the physician’s review and interpretation of the peripheral smear, including pertinent blood-cell findings and their significance. The written interpretation should be distinguishable from routine laboratory results.
Does 85060 include a technical component?
CMS identifies 85060 as a physician interpretation code. It represents the physician’s interpretive service, not a separately identified technical component.
Who typically performs the interpretation?
A physician, commonly a pathologist or hematologist, interprets the peripheral blood film and documents the findings.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
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