CPT code 88141: Pap interpretation, physician interpretation and report2026 Medicare rate & RVUs
Reports a physician’s interpretation of cervical or vaginal cytology slides when a distinct interpretive review and report are performed.
Medicare pays $24.05 for 88141 nationally in the office and $24.05 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $21.72–$31.60.
Medicare rate · 88141
Pap interpretation, physician interpretation and report
- Work RVUs
- 0.25
- Total RVUs
- 0.72
- Global days
- XXX
National rate · 2026
$24.05
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 88141 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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On this page 10 sections
What 88141 covers
A cytopathologist or other qualified physician reviews cervical or vaginal cytology slides and documents an interpretation in a report. The service may follow laboratory screening that identifies atypical or abnormal findings, or be performed when a clinician requests physician-level review. It is generally performed in a cytology laboratory supporting office, hospital, or other clinical testing settings.
Report 88141 for the physician’s interpretive work and report, not for specimen collection, slide preparation, or screening alone. Documentation should identify the material reviewed, the interpretive findings, and the physician’s report. CMS classifies this as a professional-component-only code; a separate code covers the technical portion of the cytology service. It may be reported with an applicable cervical or vaginal cytology screening service when the physician interpretation is separately performed and documented.
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.
Where 88141 pays more and less
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
109 payment localities
$21.72 to $31.60
109 of 109 payment localities
88141 rates by state
Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.
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Local rates. Clear comparisons.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
$21.72
$29.07
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View every state and territory as a table
| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $29.07 | 1 |
| AL | $21.98 | 1 |
| AR | $21.72 | 1 |
| AZ | $23.52 | 1 |
| CA | $25.51–$31.60 | 29 |
| CO | $25.06 | 1 |
| CT | $25.47 | 1 |
| DC | $27.27 | 1 |
| DE | $23.87 | 1 |
| FL | $23.54–$25.19 | 3 |
| GA | $22.45–$24.39 | 2 |
| GU | $26.01 | 1 |
| HI | $26.01 | 1 |
| IA | $22.54 | 1 |
| ID | $22.64 | 1 |
| IL | $22.90–$24.78 | 4 |
| IN | $22.76 | 1 |
| KS | $22.41 | 1 |
| KY | $22.31 | 1 |
| LA | $22.27–$23.19 | 2 |
| MA | $24.93–$27.33 | 2 |
| MD | $24.29–$27.27 | 3 |
| ME | $22.69–$23.79 | 2 |
| MI | $22.76–$23.74 | 2 |
| MN | $24.26 | 1 |
| MO | $21.92–$23.31 | 3 |
| MS | $21.83 | 1 |
| MT | $24.05 | 1 |
| NC | $22.90 | 1 |
| ND | $23.85 | 1 |
| NE | $22.66 | 1 |
| NH | $24.64 | 1 |
| NJ | $25.83–$27.06 | 2 |
| NM | $22.84 | 1 |
| NV | $24.01 | 1 |
| NY | $23.18–$27.77 | 5 |
| OH | $22.71 | 1 |
| OK | $22.33 | 1 |
| OR | $23.89–$25.80 | 2 |
| PA | $22.77–$24.89 | 2 |
| PR | $24.21 | 1 |
| RI | $24.68 | 1 |
| SC | $22.83 | 1 |
| SD | $23.83 | 1 |
| TN | $22.50 | 1 |
| TX | $22.64–$24.92 | 8 |
| UT | $23.09 | 1 |
| VA | $23.69–$27.27 | 2 |
| VI | $24.21 | 1 |
| VT | $23.73 | 1 |
| WA | $24.89–$27.89 | 2 |
| WI | $23.17 | 1 |
| WV | $22.18 | 1 |
| WY | $23.96 | 1 |
How the 88141 rate is calculated
Each of 88141’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 · 88141
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.25
0.25 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.46
0.46 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.01
0.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.7200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$24.05
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 88141
The CMS indicators that decide how 88141 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 88141
Pap interpretation, physician interpretation and report
| 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 | 2 | Professional component only. |
88141 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 88142Pap testPreservative fluid, manual screening
- 88142 describes a cervical or vaginal cytology service involving thin-layer preparation and screening. 88141 represents the physician’s distinct interpretation and report.
- 88147Pap testAutomated screening
- 88147 is for automated screening of cervical or vaginal cytology. Use 88141 for a separately performed physician interpretation and report, not for automated screening itself.
- 88148Pap testAutomated with manual rescreen
- 88148 identifies automated cervical or vaginal cytology screening with physician interpretation in its service. 88141 is the professional interpretation-and-report code.
- 88150Pap testManual slide screening
- 88150 describes manual cervical or vaginal cytology screening. 88141 represents the physician’s interpretive report, rather than the manual screening service.
88141 billing questions
Is 88141 reported for every Pap test?
No. Report it when a physician performs and documents the distinct interpretation and report represented by this code; it is not automatic for every cervical or vaginal cytology specimen.
Can 88141 be reported with a cervical cytology screening code?
It may be reported with an applicable cervical or vaginal cytology service when the physician separately performs the interpretive review and report. The record should support both the screening service and the interpretation.
Does 88141 include slide preparation or screening?
No. It represents the professional interpretation and report. The technical portion, such as slide preparation or screening, is covered by a separate code.
Does 88141 need modifier 26?
CMS identifies 88141 itself as professional-component-only, so the code represents interpretation and report rather than a global technical-and-professional service.
What documentation supports 88141?
Document the cervical or vaginal cytology material reviewed, the physician’s interpretive findings, and the resulting report. The record should show that the physician actually performed the interpretive service.
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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