CPT code 88302: Tissue pathology, level II specimen2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

Medicare pays $34.79–$44.67 for 88302 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. 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.

What 88302 covers

A pathologist examines tissue submitted after a procedure, evaluating its gross appearance and preparing and reviewing sections microscopically before issuing a diagnostic report. Typical Level II submissions include a hernia sac, skin tags, a newborn’s foreskin, or a vas deferens removed for sterilization. Surgeons and other procedural clinicians collect the tissue; pathology laboratories perform the examination for hospital and outpatient cases.

Choose the level from the specimen type and procedure under the surgical pathology code family, not from how involved the diagnosis seems. The pathology report should identify the specimen and its source and document the examination and findings. Report the service per specimen, rather than per slide or tissue block. CMS separately prices the professional interpretation with modifier 26 and the technical work, including equipment and staff, with modifier TC; billing without either modifier represents the global service.

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 88302 pays more and less in California

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

29 of 29 payment localities

How the 88302 rate is calculated

Each of 88302’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 88302

The CMS indicators that decide how 88302 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 26

88302 compared with similar codes

How to choose

88300Gross pathologyGross examination only

88300 is limited to gross examination. Use 88302 when the Level II specimen receives the corresponding gross and microscopic pathology examination.

88304Tissue pathology examLevel III specimen

Both are surgical pathology levels, but the applicable code is determined by the specimen category and procedure. Do not move a Level II specimen to 88304 based only on perceived complexity.

88305Tissue pathology examLevel IV specimen

88305 represents a different specimen level in the same family. Follow the code family’s specimen assignment rather than selecting it simply because the pathologist’s work seems more extensive.

Codes related to 88302

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates