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CPT code 88321: Slide consultation, outside-prepared slides2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Indiana

A pathologist reviews slides prepared by another laboratory and issues a consultation report, commonly for an outside second opinion on biopsy or resection findings.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026One payment locality161.7K Medicare services in 2024

In Indiana, Medicare pays $89.85 for 88321 in the office and $65.39 when it’s performed in a hospital or facility.

$89.85Office (non-facility)
$65.39Hospital or facility
−4.3%vs the national office rate ($93.86)

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 88321 nationwide

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

We’ll open 88321 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 11 sections
  1. Rate in Indiana
  2. What 88321 covers
  3. Compared with other areas
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Related codes
  8. Rate history
  9. Where it applies
  10. Billing questions
  11. Sources

What 88321 covers

A pathologist examines slides that another laboratory has already prepared and provides an interpretive consultation report. A common situation is a treating clinician requesting an outside review of biopsy or resection slides before deciding on diagnosis or treatment. The service is performed by a pathologist in a hospital, reference laboratory, or other pathology practice; it is not the preparation of new slides from submitted tissue.

Select this code when the consultation is based on slides prepared elsewhere. The report should identify the material reviewed and document the pathologist’s interpretation and conclusions. Use a different consultation code when the referred material requires preparation or when the service involves a broader review of records and specimens. This code represents the slide-review consultation, rather than the original laboratory’s tissue examination or a stain 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.

How Indiana compares for 88321

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the office rate for 88321 runs from $87.31 in Arkansas to $121.86 in Alaska. Indiana pays $89.85. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

88321 in Indiana vs other payment areas
  1. Indiana · this page$89.85
  2. Los Angeles, CA · California$102.28+$12.43
  3. Washington, DC area · District of Columbia$103.83+$13.98
  4. Miami, FL · Florida$99.01+$9.16
  5. Chicago, IL · Illinois$97.45+$7.60
  6. Manhattan, NY · New York$104.85+$15.00
  7. Alaska · Alaska$121.86+$32.01

Other areas in Indiana first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.

Every other payment area

88321 in every other Medicare payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaAlabama$88.04$64.95
ArkansasArkansas$87.31$64.64
ArizonaArizona$92.33$66.76
Bakersfield, CACalifornia$97.64$68.72
Chico, CACalifornia$97.36$68.44
El Centro, CACalifornia$97.37$68.45
Fresno, CACalifornia$97.36$68.44
Hanford, CACalifornia$97.36$68.44

88321 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

$87.31

$121.86

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
88321 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$121.861
AL$88.041
AR$87.311
AZ$92.331
CA$97.36–$115.5929
CO$96.441
CT$98.371
DC$103.831
DE$93.421
FL$93.34–$99.013
GA$90.16–$95.102
GU$98.131
HI$98.131
IA$89.181
ID$89.551
IL$91.83–$97.454
IN$89.851
KS$89.011
KY$89.391
LA$89.34–$91.912
MA$96.27–$103.232
MD$94.66–$103.833
ME$89.90–$92.652
MI$90.82–$94.122
MN$93.321
MO$88.50–$92.023
MS$87.911
MT$93.851
NC$90.441
ND$92.471
NE$89.441
NH$95.141
NJ$99.74–$103.512
NM$91.141
NV$93.501
NY$91.24–$106.525
OH$90.531
OK$89.231
OR$93.01–$98.372
PA$90.58–$96.842
PR$94.241
RI$95.881
SC$90.591
SD$92.301
TN$89.281
TX$90.23–$95.928
UT$91.311
VA$92.52–$103.832
VI$94.241
VT$92.321
WA$96.02–$104.802
WI$90.631
WV$89.831
WY$93.251

See 88321 in every payment locality

How the 88321 rate is calculated

Each of 88321’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 · 88321

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work1.59

1.59 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense1.15

1.15 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.07

0.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

2.8100

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$93.86

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

The exact Indiana inputs and CMS source lines

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

11,230

Code
88321
Physician work
1.59
Practice expense
1.15
Malpractice
0.07

GPCI2026.csv

52

Locality
Indiana
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
0.927
Malpractice
0.486
Office calculation for 88321 in Indiana
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work1.59× 1.0001.5900
Practice expense1.15× 0.9271.0660
Malpractice0.07× 0.4860.0340
Total RVUs2.6901
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Office rate, Indiana$89.85

Office: (1.59 × 1 + 1.15 × 0.927 + 0.07 × 0.486) × $33.4009 = $89.85

Facility: (1.59 × 1 + 0.36 × 0.927 + 0.07 × 0.486) × $33.4009 = $65.39

Open 88321 in the RVU calculator

Payment rules and modifiers for 88321

88321 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 · 88321

Which rate does Medicare pay?

The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).

POS 11 · non-facility rate · national

$93.86

Non-facility (office)
$93.86
Facility
$67.47

Higher because the practice carries its own overhead.

Codes related to 88321

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

Codes related to 88321
CodeHow it relatesOffice range, Indiana
Same family
88323Pathology consultation, referred material, slides preparedConsultation when referred material requires preparation rather than review of already-prepared slides.$108.70
88325Pathology consultation, comprehensive record reviewBroader pathology consultation involving records and specimens.$147.28
Used instead
88329Pathology consult, gross examination onlyPathology consultation performed during surgery rather than on referred outside slides.$49.30

How 88321 has changed in Indiana

88321 · Office / nonfacility

$89.85

Effective 2026-10-01

The base rate is $0.24 higher than on 2025-10-01, moving from $89.61 to $89.85 (0.3%).

It is unchanged from the immediately preceding available release, effective 2026-07-01.

Base rate by release · bars start at $0 · select a bar to compare

One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.

What changed, release by release

  1. January 1, 2026

    RVU26A

    $89.61changed to$89.85

    • Conversion factor 32.3465 changed to 33.4009
    • Work RVU 1.63 changed to 1.59
    • Practice expense RVU 1.20 changed to 1.15
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.922 changed to 0.927
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.485 changed to 0.486

    Held through RVU26B, RVU26C, RVU26D.

  2. January 1, 2025

    RVU25A

    $91.77changed to$89.61

    • Conversion factor 33.2875 changed to 32.3465
    • Practice expense RVU 1.18 changed to 1.20
    • Malpractice RVU 0.08 changed to 0.07

    Held through RVU25B, RVU25C, RVU25D.

  3. March 9, 2024

    RVU24AR

    $90.27changed to$91.77

    • Conversion factor 32.7442 changed to 33.2875

    Held through RVU24B, RVU24C, RVU24D.

  4. January 1, 2024

    RVU24A

    $92.33changed to$90.27

    • Conversion factor 33.8872 changed to 32.7442
    • Practice expense RVU 1.16 changed to 1.18
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.911 changed to 0.922
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.475 changed to 0.485

  5. January 1, 2023

    RVU23A

    $92.43changed to$92.33

    • Conversion factor 34.6062 changed to 33.8872
    • Practice expense RVU 1.11 changed to 1.16
    • Malpractice RVU 0.09 changed to 0.08
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.900 changed to 0.911
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.465 changed to 0.475

    Held through RVU23B, RVU23C, RVU23D.

  6. January 1, 2022

    RVU22A

    $93.51changed to$92.43

    • Conversion factor 34.8931 changed to 34.6062
    • Practice expense RVU 1.12 changed to 1.11

    Held through RVU22B, RVU22C, RVU22D.

  7. January 1, 2021

    RVU21A

    $96.98changed to$93.51

    • Conversion factor 36.0896 changed to 34.8931
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.910 changed to 0.900
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.422 changed to 0.465

    Held through RVU21B, RVU21C, RVU21D.

  8. January 1, 2020

    RVU20A

    $97.59changed to$96.98

    • Conversion factor 36.0391 changed to 36.0896
    • Practice expense RVU 1.14 changed to 1.12
    • Malpractice RVU 0.08 changed to 0.09
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.919 changed to 0.910
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.379 changed to 0.422

    Held through RVU20B, RVU20C, RVU20D.

  9. January 1, 2019

    RVU19A

    $99.80changed to$97.59

    • Conversion factor 35.9996 changed to 36.0391
    • Practice expense RVU 1.21 changed to 1.14

    Held through RVU19B, RVU19C, RVU19D.

  10. January 1, 2018

    RVU18AR1

    $99.88changed to$99.80

    • Conversion factor 35.8887 changed to 35.9996
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.920 changed to 0.919
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.498 changed to 0.379

    Held through RVU18B, RVU18C, RVU18D.

  11. January 1, 2017

    RVU17A

    $99.04changed to$99.88

    • Conversion factor 35.8043 changed to 35.8887
    • Practice expense RVU 1.18 changed to 1.21
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.921 changed to 0.920
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.617 changed to 0.498

    Held through RVU17B, RVU17C, RVU17D.

  12. January 1, 2016

    RVU16A

    $93.22changed to$99.04

    • Conversion factor 35.9335 changed to 35.8043
    • Practice expense RVU 1.00 changed to 1.18
    • Malpractice RVU 0.07 changed to 0.08

    Held through RVU16B, RVU16C, RVU16D.

  13. July 1, 2015

    RVU15C

    $92.75changed to$93.22

    • Conversion factor 35.7547 changed to 35.9335

    Held through RVU15D.

  14. January 1, 2015

    RVU15A

    $91.31changed to$92.75

    • Conversion factor 35.8228 changed to 35.7547
    • Practice expense RVU 0.93 changed to 1.00
    • Malpractice RVU 0.10 changed to 0.07
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.922 changed to 0.921
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.615 changed to 0.617

    Held through RVU15B.

  15. January 1, 2014

    RVU14A

    $89.26changed to$91.31

    • Conversion factor 34.0230 changed to 35.8228
    • Practice expense RVU 1.01 changed to 0.93
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.923 changed to 0.922
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.613 changed to 0.615

    Held through RVU14B, RVU14C, RVU14D.

  16. January 1, 2013

    RVU13AR

    Earliest loaded release: $89.26

    Held through RVU13B, RVU13C, RVU13D.

Rates in every CMS release
Effective fromOfficeFacilityCMS release
2026-10-01$89.85$65.39RVU26D
2026-07-01$89.85$65.39RVU26C
2026-04-01$89.85$65.39RVU26B
2026-01-01$89.85$65.39RVU26A
2025-10-01$89.61$76.19RVU25D
2025-07-01$89.61$76.19RVU25C
2025-04-01$89.61$76.19RVU25B
2025-01-01$89.61$76.19RVU25A
2024-10-01$91.77$77.95RVU24D
2024-07-01$91.77$77.95RVU24C
2024-04-01$91.77$77.95RVU24B
2024-03-09$91.77$77.95RVU24AR
2024-01-01$90.27$76.68RVU24A
2023-10-01$92.33$79.37RVU23D
2023-07-01$92.33$79.37RVU23C
2023-04-01$92.33$79.37RVU23B
2023-01-01$92.33$79.37RVU23A
2022-10-01$92.43$79.97RVU22D
2022-07-01$92.43$79.97RVU22C
2022-04-01$92.43$79.97RVU22B
2022-01-01$92.43$79.97RVU22A
2021-10-01$93.51$80.63RVU21D
2021-07-01$93.51$80.63RVU21C
2021-04-01$93.51$80.63RVU21B
2021-01-01$93.51$80.63RVU21A
2020-10-01$96.98$83.84RVU20D
2020-07-01$96.98$83.84RVU20C
2020-04-01$96.98$83.84RVU20B
2020-01-01$96.98$83.84RVU20A
2019-10-01$97.59$83.35RVU19D
2019-07-01$97.59$83.35RVU19C
2019-04-01$97.59$83.35RVU19B
2019-01-01$97.59$83.35RVU19A
2018-10-01$99.80$84.25RVU18D
2018-07-01$99.80$84.25RVU18C
2018-04-01$99.80$84.25RVU18B
2018-01-01$99.80$84.25RVU18AR1
2017-10-01$99.88$84.69RVU17D
2017-07-01$99.88$84.69RVU17C
2017-04-01$99.88$84.69RVU17B
2017-01-01$99.88$84.69RVU17A
2016-10-01$99.04$84.53RVU16D
2016-07-01$99.04$84.53RVU16C
2016-04-01$99.04$84.53RVU16B
2016-01-01$99.04$84.53RVU16A
2015-10-01$93.22$83.95RVU15D
2015-07-01$93.22$83.95RVU15C
2015-04-01$92.75$83.53RVU15B
2015-01-01$92.75$83.53RVU15A
2014-10-01$91.31$82.72RVU14D
2014-07-01$91.31$82.72RVU14C
2014-04-01$91.31$82.72RVU14B
2014-01-01$91.31$82.72RVU14A
2013-10-01$89.26$80.15RVU13D
2013-07-01$89.26$80.15RVU13C
2013-04-01$89.26$80.15RVU13B
2013-01-01$89.26$80.15RVU13AR

Price 88321 for an earlier date of service

Where the Indiana rate applies

Indiana is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 974 cities and communities in Indiana. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

  • Aberdeen
  • Abington
  • Adams
  • Adams Lake
  • Advance
  • Akron
  • Alamo
  • Albany

Browse all communities in Indiana

88321 billing questions

How does this differ from 88323?

Use 88321 when the slides were already prepared elsewhere. Code 88323 is for consultation when the referred material requires preparation.

Does 88321 include preparing new slides?

No. The service is the pathologist’s review and report on slides prepared by another laboratory.

When would 88325 be a better fit?

88325 describes a more comprehensive consultation involving review of records and specimens. 88321 is focused on the referred slides.

What documentation supports reporting 88321?

Document the slides reviewed, their outside source, the consultation request, and the pathologist’s findings and conclusions in the report.

Can the original tissue examination report support 88321 by itself?

No. The record should show a separate consultation based on the outside-prepared slides and include the consulting pathologist’s report.

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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 88321PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 11,230 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for IndianaGPCI2026.csv, line 52 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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