CPT code 88185: Flow cytometry add-on, technical work, each additional marker2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Report the laboratory's technical work for each flow cytometry marker beyond the first on a specimen, together with first-marker code 88184.
Medicare pays $19.87–$21.94 for 88185 in the office in Missouri, from Rest of Missouri to Metropolitan St. Louis, MO. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 9 sections
What 88185 covers
This code covers the laboratory work for each additional cell surface, cytoplasmic, or nuclear marker after the first in a flow cytometry study. That work includes preparing and staining cells, acquiring instrument data, and processing the results for review. A common use is immunophenotyping peripheral blood, bone marrow aspirate, lymph node, or body fluid specimens when a hematolymphoid disorder is suspected or monitored. Hospital and independent laboratories perform this technical work; a pathologist or hematopathologist may separately interpret the study.
Report one unit of 88185 for each marker beyond the first on a specimen, with 88184 for its first marker. Record the markers tested for each specimen to support the technical units. CMS treats 88185 as an add-on billed with its primary procedure and paid within that procedure's global period. It is technical-component-only, so do not append modifier 26 or TC. When separately reported, interpretation uses 88187, 88188, or 88189 according to the number of markers interpreted; the report should support that tier.
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 88185 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
3 payment localities
$19.87 to $21.94
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | $21.64 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | $21.94 | Unavailable |
| Rest of Missouri | $19.87 | Unavailable |
How the 88185 rate is calculated
Each of 88185’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 · 88185
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.69
0.69 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.6900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$23.05
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 88185
The CMS indicators that decide how 88185 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 88185
Flow cytometry add-on, technical work, each additional marker
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| 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 | 3 | Technical component only. |
88185 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 88184Flow cytometryFirst marker, technical component
- 88184 covers technical work for the first marker on a specimen. Report 88185 in units for each additional marker on that specimen.
- 88187Flow cytometry2–8 marker interpretation
- 88187 covers interpretation when 2 to 8 markers are interpreted. 88185 covers laboratory technical work and is counted per additional marker tested.
- 88188Flow cytometry9–15 markers
- 88188 covers interpretation when 9 to 15 markers are interpreted. Even in that tier, 88185 counts the technical work for each marker tested beyond the first.
88185 billing questions
How many units of 88185 are reported for a 10-marker panel?
For one specimen, report 88184 once and nine units of 88185. If all 10 markers are interpreted, the interpretation falls in the 9-to-15-marker tier, 88188.
Can 88185 be reported without 88184?
No. Report this add-on with 88184, the primary technical code for the first marker on the specimen.
Does 88185 take modifier 26 or TC?
No. 88185 is already a technical-component-only code. A separately reported interpretation uses the applicable code from 88187 through 88189.
How are markers counted when two specimens are tested?
Count markers separately for each specimen. Report 88184 for the first marker on each specimen and 88185 units for that specimen's additional markers.
Who bills 88185 versus the interpretation code?
The laboratory performing the technical work bills 88184 and 88185. The pathologist or hematopathologist who interprets the data and issues a report bills the applicable interpretation code.
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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