CPT code 88331: Frozen section, first block, one specimen2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Aromas, California
CPT 88331: $107.07–$126.39 office across 2 localities in Aromas, CA in 2026 Medicare. Compare each area.
Medicare pays $107.07–$126.39 for 88331 in the office in Aromas, California, from Salinas, 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.
On this page 6 sections
Where 88331 pays more and less in Aromas, California
Aromas, California maps to 2 Medicare payment localities in our Census-to-CMS crosswalk. A city name alone doesn’t confirm an address’s payment area.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Salinas, CA | $107.07 | Unavailable |
| San Benito County, CA | $126.39 | Unavailable |
How payment areas work in Aromas
City limits and Medicare payment areas are different maps. These are the payment areas that cover the city’s counties; the service ZIP decides which one applies.
- Monterey · Monterey County
- San Benito · San Benito County
City boundaries: 2026 Census geography · Census source · CMS county-to-locality definitions
How the 88331 rate is calculated
Each of 88331’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 · 88331
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.16
1.16 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.72
1.72 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.03
0.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
2.9100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$97.20
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 88331
The CMS indicators that decide how 88331 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 88331
Frozen section, first block, one specimen
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| 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 | 1 | Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 26 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
88331 without 26 · national office
$97.20
Frozen section, first block, one specimen
88331-26 · Professional component
$57.78
Pays only the interpretation and 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
Fee sheets · Coming soon
Put 88331 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
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