CPT code 88274: Interphase FISH, 25–99 cells analyzed2026 Medicare lab fee · Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule
Interphase in situ hybridization assesses chromosome findings in 25–99 cells and is reported for targeted cytogenetic evaluation of genetic defects.
Medicare pays $42.38 for 88274 under the 2026 Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule: one national amount, the same in every state and setting.
Medicare lab fee · CLFS 2026 Q4
National CLFS amount
$42.38
In effect since Jan 1, 2026. The same amount in every state, payment locality and setting.
- Geographic adjustment
- None
- Office vs facility
- Same
- Since 2020
- Unchanged
- CMS updates
- Quarterly
Medicare pays the lesser of the lab’s charge and this amount. Patients usually owe no Part B deductible or coinsurance for covered clinical lab tests.
On this page 8 sections
What 88274 covers
Interphase in situ hybridization uses DNA probes to assess targeted chromosome findings in interphase cells. Code 88274 applies when 25–99 cells are analyzed. The analysis supports evaluation of chromosome abnormalities, including genetic defects. Cytogenetics laboratories perform this work for clinicians ordering a focused chromosome assessment. Unlike a conventional chromosome study, it evaluates probe signals in interphase cells rather than relying on a banded chromosome preparation. The reported cell-count range distinguishes this service from other cytogenetic analysis codes.
Report 88274 for analysis of 25–99 cells. Medicare pays the test only through the CLFS, not the physician fee schedule. The 2026 national CLFS amount is $42.38 and has remained unchanged since 2020. The same amount applies nationwide, without locality or office-versus-facility adjustment.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule data. Amounts on this page come directly from CMS files.
How Medicare pays 88274
Clinical lab tests aren’t priced like physician services. They’re paid from their own fee schedule, with its own rules. See the whole lab fee schedule.
One national amount
CMS sets a single Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule amount for 88274. There’s no geographic (GPCI) adjustment, so it pays the same in every state and payment locality.
No office or facility rate
Lab tests aren’t built from relative value units, so there’s no office and facility split: the place of service doesn’t change the CLFS amount.
Updated every quarter
CMS republishes the CLFS each quarter. New tests, often proprietary laboratory analyses (PLA codes), join during the year; existing amounts are updated each January.
Excluded from the physician fee schedule
The physician fee schedule lists 88274 with status X (excluded by statute), so the test itself is paid only from the CLFS.
88274 on the lab fee schedule since 2020
88274 · CLFS 2026 Q4 (current)
$42.38
Unchanged since Jan 1, 2020
27 quarterly CLFS releases on file, first CLFS 2020 Q1. A code missing from a quarter wasn’t on that release.
88274 compared with similar tests
- 88273Chromosome probe test10–30 cells analyzed$34.81
- 88273 is listed for 10–30 cells, while 88274 is for 25–99 cells; the ranges overlap at 25–30 cells.
- 88275Interphase ISH100–300 cells$51.19
- 88275 is for analysis of 100–300 cells. 88274 is for 25–99 cells.
- 88271DNA probeEach probe$21.42
- 88271 identifies a DNA probe; 88274 describes analysis of 25–99 interphase cells.
- 88263Chromosome analysis45 cells for mosaicism$150.29
- 88263 is for chromosome analysis of 45 cells. 88274 describes probe analysis in interphase cells.
88274 billing questions
When should 88274 be selected instead of 88273 or 88275?
88274 is for analysis of 25–99 cells. The listed ranges for 88273 and 88274 overlap at 25–30 cells, so select the code that matches the analysis performed and applicable code definition; 88275 covers 100–300 cells.
What cell-count documentation supports 88274?
Document the number of cells analyzed and ensure it falls within the 25–99 range.
Does Medicare pay 88274 under the physician fee schedule?
No. Medicare pays 88274 through the CLFS, using one national amount without locality or office-versus-facility adjustment.
How does 88271 differ from 88274?
88271 identifies a DNA probe, while 88274 describes interphase cell analysis in the 25–99-cell range.
How is 88274 different from a chromosome analysis code such as 88263?
88274 describes probe analysis in interphase cells. Code 88263 is for chromosome analysis of 45 cells.
Where this amount comes from
FeeBase reads lab amounts directly from the CMS Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule file for the quarter: one row per code, with its payment indicator and national amount. Contractor-priced tests are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare payment limits, not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS CLFS 2026 Q4 · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
Show the CMS file line behind this amount
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