CPT code 88299: Cytogenetic study, unlisted service2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in New York
An unlisted cytogenetic laboratory service reported when no specific CPT code describes the chromosome or cellular genetic analysis performed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 88299 in New York.
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 88299 covers
CPT 88299 identifies a cytogenetic laboratory study that lacks a more specific listed procedure code. Cytogenetics laboratories assess chromosome structure or other cellular genetic features in testing ordered to investigate genetic or chromosomal conditions. The laboratory that performs the study reports the service. Select a listed code whenever its defined study matches the work performed; 88299 is for work not represented by a specific cytogenetic procedure code.
For Medicare, 88299 is carrier-priced (status C): CMS publishes no national payment, and the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim. The claim should identify the study performed and include information that lets the contractor assess the service represented. This payment status does not make 88299 a substitute for a listed cytogenetic procedure code that fits the work.
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 88299 pays more and less in New York
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Manhattan, NY | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| NYC suburbs and Long Island, NY | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Poughkeepsie and northern NYC suburbs, NY | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Queens, NY | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Rest of New York | Unavailable | Unavailable |
How the 88299 rate is calculated
Each of 88299’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 · 88299
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.0000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$0.00
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 88299
88299 has no global surgery period, no multiple-procedure, bilateral or assistant-at-surgery adjustment, and no professional/technical split. What changes the payment is where the service happens: the place of service on the claim decides whether Medicare pays the office or the facility rate.
Place of service · 88299
Which rate does Medicare pay?
The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).
POS 11 · non-facility rate · national
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88299 isn’t priced in this setting.
88299 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 88271DNA probeEach probe
- Use 88271 for a cytogenetic DNA probe study that fits that code. Use 88299 only when no specific listed code describes the study.
- 88280Karyotype studyAdditional study
- 88280 describes a chromosome karyotype study. 88299 is for a cytogenetic study without a more specific procedure code.
- 88283Chromosome bandingSpecialized technique
- 88283 is the specific code for a chromosome banding study; 88299 is not a substitute when banding describes the work.
- 88291Cytogenetic reportInterpretation and report
- 88291 identifies a cytogenetic or molecular cytogenetic report. 88299 represents an unlisted study, not the reporting service itself.
88299 billing questions
When should the laboratory use 88299 instead of a listed cytogenetics code?
Use 88299 when no specific CPT code describes the cytogenetic study performed. Report a listed code when its defined study matches the work.
What information should accompany a claim for 88299?
Identify the study performed and provide information that distinguishes the work from listed cytogenetic procedures.
How does Medicare price 88299?
It has carrier-priced status: CMS publishes no national payment, and the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim.
Can 88299 replace a listed chromosome or probe code?
No. Use a listed code when it describes the study performed; reserve 88299 for a cytogenetic service without a more specific 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
Fee sheets · Coming soon
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