CPT 89259 · Cryopreservation of Sperm
89259 is the freeze. 89343 is the storage bill every year, and 89353 is the thaw when you use it. Here's what each covers and how to bank sperm without a clinic runaround.
Sperm banking is three separate charges under three CPT codes, which is why quotes are hard to compare. Know the codes and you can ask any bank the right question: what's the freeze, what's the yearly storage, and what does a thaw cost later. Hera lists sperm banks and the labs that run the pre-freeze analysis.
Freeze from about $150–$500 · storage about $150–$500 per year · analysis at a Hera lab from $60 + lab price
CPT 89259 is cryopreservation of sperm: processing a semen sample, adding cryoprotectant, dividing it into vials and freezing it in liquid nitrogen. Banks usually bundle it with a semen analysis (CPT 89320) on the same sample so you know the count and motility of what was frozen, and often with the first months or year of storage.
After that, storage is billed separately under CPT 89343, per year (some banks bill monthly), for as long as the vials stay frozen. When a sample is used for IUI or IVF the clinic bills a thaw, CPT 89353, per vial. So the total cost of banking is freeze + years of storage + thaw, not the headline price.
1. Compare sperm banks on Hera — on-site collection at a bank or clinic, or a mail-in kit if you can't get to one. Check what the quote includes: analysis, number of vials, and the first year of storage.
2. Get the pre-freeze semen analysis. Some banks include it; otherwise book the complete analysis (CPT 89320) at a Hera lab so you know what's being stored.
3. Bank, then keep the storage bill current. Ask the bank how many vials you have, and tell your fertility clinic the bank's name when you're ready to use them.
Hera lists sperm banks and cryostorage labs by city, with what each charges to freeze and store. Need the analysis first? Book it at a lab near you.
Compare sperm banks Book the pre-freeze analysisSperm banking is billed as three procedures over time, each with its own CPT code. If you're comparing quotes, submitting to insurance, or claiming a state fertility-preservation benefit, these are the codes.
| Code | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 89259 (On a Hera order) | Cryopreservation of sperm — the freezing itself. Banks usually bundle it with a pre-freeze semen analysis and the first vials of storage. |
| 89343 | Storage of frozen sperm or semen — billed per year (or per month at some banks) for as long as the sample stays frozen. |
| 89353 | Thawing of frozen sperm or semen, per vial — billed only when a sample is thawed for IUI or IVF. |
| 89320 | Complete semen analysis run on the sample before freezing, so you know the count and motility of what's banked. |
| Code | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Z31.84 (On a Hera order) | Encounter for fertility preservation procedure — freezing before a vasectomy, chemotherapy, surgery, testosterone therapy or deployment. |
| Z31.62 | Encounter for fertility preservation counseling — the consult before you decide to bank. |
Coverage hinges on the diagnosis: Z31.84 with a cancer or surgical diagnosis is covered by law in a growing number of states, while freezing before a vasectomy or TRT is almost always cash-pay. Storage (89343) is rarely covered even when the freeze is. Ask the bank for an itemized quote by code.
CPT 89259, cryopreservation of sperm. It covers processing and freezing the sample. Storage (89343) and thawing (89353) are billed separately, and most banks add a semen analysis (89320) on the same sample.
Storage of frozen sperm or semen. It's billed per year (or per month at some banks) for as long as your vials stay frozen. It's the part of sperm banking that keeps costing money, so ask for the yearly rate before you freeze.
Thawing of frozen sperm or semen, per vial. The fertility clinic bills it when a sample is thawed for IUI or IVF, sometimes alongside sperm-washing codes for the insemination itself.
Z31.84, encounter for fertility preservation procedure, regardless of the reason. When freezing is before chemotherapy or surgery the underlying diagnosis is added as well, which is what triggers insurance coverage in states with fertility-preservation laws. Z31.62 covers the counseling visit beforehand.
Sometimes. Many states now require coverage of fertility preservation when a medical treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, some surgeries) could cause infertility, billed as 89259 with Z31.84 plus the diagnosis. Freezing before a vasectomy, before testosterone therapy, or 'just in case' is almost always paid out of pocket, and yearly storage is rarely covered either way.
In the US the freeze itself (89259, usually with the analysis) runs from roughly $150 to $500, and storage (89343) from roughly $150 to $500 per year depending on the bank. Mail-in kits price similarly once storage is included. Hera lists each bank's fees so you can compare the freeze and the yearly storage separately.