Billing code 88332: Frozen sectionMedicare rate & RVUs
Reports a pathologist’s intraoperative frozen-section examination of each additional tissue block beyond the initial block, such as when assessing surgical margins.
Medicare pays $53.44 for 88332 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $48.41–$70.03.
Medicare rate · 88332
Frozen section
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
- Work RVUs
- 0.58
- Total RVUs
- 1.60
- Global days
- XXX
National rate · 2026
$53.44
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 88332 → · Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →
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 10 sections
What 88332 covers
A pathologist uses this service during an operation to examine an additional tissue block by frozen section and provide an immediate diagnostic opinion to the surgeon. It is commonly used when further tissue is submitted to assess a margin or clarify an intraoperative finding. The work may occur in a hospital or other surgical setting with the specimen processed and examined while the procedure is underway.
Report 88332 for each additional block examined after the initial block, typically with 88331 for the first block. The operative and pathology records should support the number of distinct blocks examined and the intraoperative interpretation communicated to the surgical team. For Medicare, modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, modifier TC identifies the technical service, and reporting without either modifier represents the global service. CMS separately prices the 26 and TC components.
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 88332 pays more and less
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
109 payment localities
$48.41 to $70.03
109 of 109 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $48.98 | Unavailable |
| Alaska* | $65.00 | Unavailable |
| Arizona | $52.31 | Unavailable |
| Arkansas | $48.41 | Unavailable |
| Atlanta | $54.17 | Unavailable |
| Austin | $55.34 | Unavailable |
| Bakersfield | $56.75 | Unavailable |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | $56.35 | Unavailable |
| Beaumont | $50.39 | Unavailable |
| Brazoria | $53.15 | Unavailable |
| Chicago | $54.61 | Unavailable |
| Chico | $56.67 | Unavailable |
| Colorado | $55.67 | Unavailable |
| Connecticut | $56.54 | Unavailable |
| Dallas | $53.39 | Unavailable |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | $60.51 | Unavailable |
| Delaware | $53.07 | Unavailable |
| Detroit | $52.73 | Unavailable |
| East St. Louis | $51.45 | Unavailable |
| El Centro | $56.67 | Unavailable |
| Fort Lauderdale | $54.42 | Unavailable |
| Fort Worth | $53.06 | Unavailable |
| Fresno | $56.67 | Unavailable |
| Galveston | $53.25 | Unavailable |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $56.67 | Unavailable |
| Hawaii, Guam | $57.74 | Unavailable |
| Houston | $53.61 | Unavailable |
| Idaho | $50.42 | Unavailable |
| Indiana | $50.66 | Unavailable |
| Iowa | $50.20 | Unavailable |
| Kansas | $49.90 | Unavailable |
| Kentucky | $49.68 | Unavailable |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | $60.12 | Unavailable |
| Madera | $56.67 | Unavailable |
| Manhattan | $60.48 | Unavailable |
| Merced | $56.67 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Boston | $60.64 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | $51.39 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | $55.29 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | $51.84 | Unavailable |
| Miami | $55.83 | Unavailable |
| Minnesota | $53.94 | Unavailable |
| Mississippi | $48.62 | Unavailable |
| Modesto | $56.67 | Unavailable |
| Montana** | $53.44 | Unavailable |
| Napa | $64.95 | Unavailable |
| Nebraska | $50.45 | Unavailable |
| Nevada** | $53.36 | Unavailable |
| New Hampshire | $54.73 | Unavailable |
| New Mexico | $50.80 | Unavailable |
| New Orleans | $51.56 | Unavailable |
| North Carolina | $50.96 | Unavailable |
| North Dakota** | $53.04 | Unavailable |
| Northern Nj | $60.05 | Unavailable |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | $61.57 | Unavailable |
| Ohio | $50.54 | Unavailable |
| Oklahoma | $49.72 | Unavailable |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $59.81 | Unavailable |
| Portland | $57.29 | Unavailable |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | $57.63 | Unavailable |
| Puerto Rico | $53.80 | Unavailable |
| Queens | $61.06 | Unavailable |
| Redding | $56.67 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of California | $56.67 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Florida | $52.31 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Georgia | $49.96 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Illinois | $50.91 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Louisiana | $49.57 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Maine | $50.52 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Maryland | $53.98 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | $55.39 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Michigan | $50.62 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Missouri | $48.81 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of New Jersey | $57.35 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of New York | $51.57 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Oregon | $53.11 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | $50.67 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Texas | $51.67 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Washington | $55.30 | Unavailable |
| Rhode Island | $54.84 | Unavailable |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $56.90 | Unavailable |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $59.27 | Unavailable |
| Salinas | $59.04 | Unavailable |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $60.26 | Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | $68.61 | Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | $68.59 | Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | $70.03 | Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | $69.93 | Unavailable |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $58.10 | Unavailable |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $60.72 | Unavailable |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $59.22 | Unavailable |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $61.33 | Unavailable |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | $61.87 | Unavailable |
| South Carolina | $50.80 | Unavailable |
| South Dakota** | $53.00 | Unavailable |
| Southern Maine | $52.89 | Unavailable |
| Stockton | $56.67 | Unavailable |
| Suburban Chicago | $54.99 | Unavailable |
| Tennessee | $50.09 | Unavailable |
| Utah | $51.37 | Unavailable |
| Vallejo | $64.92 | Unavailable |
| Vermont | $52.78 | Unavailable |
| Virgin Islands | $53.80 | Unavailable |
| Virginia | $52.68 | Unavailable |
| Visalia | $56.67 | Unavailable |
| West Virginia | $49.35 | Unavailable |
| Wisconsin | $51.58 | Unavailable |
| Wyoming** | $53.27 | Unavailable |
| Yuba City | $56.67 | Unavailable |
88332 rates by state
Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.
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.
$48.41
$65.00
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View every state and territory as a table
| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $65.00 | 1 |
| AL | $48.98 | 1 |
| AR | $48.41 | 1 |
| AZ | $52.31 | 1 |
| CA | $56.67–$70.03 | 29 |
| CO | $55.67 | 1 |
| CT | $56.54 | 1 |
| DC | $60.51 | 1 |
| DE | $53.07 | 1 |
| FL | $52.31–$55.83 | 3 |
| GA | $49.96–$54.17 | 2 |
| GU | $57.74 | 1 |
| HI | $57.74 | 1 |
| IA | $50.20 | 1 |
| ID | $50.42 | 1 |
| IL | $50.91–$54.99 | 4 |
| IN | $50.66 | 1 |
| KS | $49.90 | 1 |
| KY | $49.68 | 1 |
| LA | $49.57–$51.56 | 2 |
| MA | $55.39–$60.64 | 2 |
| MD | $53.98–$60.51 | 3 |
| ME | $50.52–$52.89 | 2 |
| MI | $50.62–$52.73 | 2 |
| MN | $53.94 | 1 |
| MO | $48.81–$51.84 | 3 |
| MS | $48.62 | 1 |
| MT | $53.44 | 1 |
| NC | $50.96 | 1 |
| ND | $53.04 | 1 |
| NE | $50.45 | 1 |
| NH | $54.73 | 1 |
| NJ | $57.35–$60.05 | 2 |
| NM | $50.80 | 1 |
| NV | $53.36 | 1 |
| NY | $51.57–$61.57 | 5 |
| OH | $50.54 | 1 |
| OK | $49.72 | 1 |
| OR | $53.11–$57.29 | 2 |
| PA | $50.67–$55.29 | 2 |
| PR | $53.80 | 1 |
| RI | $54.84 | 1 |
| SC | $50.80 | 1 |
| SD | $53.00 | 1 |
| TN | $50.09 | 1 |
| TX | $50.39–$55.34 | 8 |
| UT | $51.37 | 1 |
| VA | $52.68–$60.51 | 2 |
| VI | $53.80 | 1 |
| VT | $52.78 | 1 |
| WA | $55.30–$61.87 | 2 |
| WI | $51.58 | 1 |
| WV | $49.35 | 1 |
| WY | $53.27 | 1 |
How the 88332 rate is calculated
Each of 88332’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 · 88332
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.58Practice expense 1.00Malpractice 0.02
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 88332
The CMS indicators that decide how 88332 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 88332
Frozen section
| 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
88332 without 26 · national office
$53.44
Frozen section
88332-26 · Professional component
$29.06
Pays only the interpretation and report.
88332 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
88332 vs 88331 vs 88334 vs 88329: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 88331Frozen section
- 88331 covers the initial tissue block in an intraoperative frozen-section consultation; 88332 is for each additional block examined.
- 88334Intraoperative cytology
- 88334 covers additional intraoperative cytologic examinations, while 88332 covers additional tissue blocks examined by frozen section.
- 88329Pathology consult
- 88329 represents an intraoperative pathology consultation based on gross examination. Choose 88332 when an additional tissue block is examined by frozen section.
88332 billing questions
When should 88332 be reported instead of 88331?
Use 88331 for the initial tissue block in the intraoperative frozen-section consultation. Report 88332 for each additional block examined during that consultation.
Can 88332 be reported with 88331?
Yes. The additional-block service is reported with 88331 for the initial block when the pathologist examines further blocks during the same intraoperative consultation.
Which modifiers identify the components?
Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
What documentation supports multiple units?
The pathology record should identify the additional blocks examined and document the intraoperative findings or interpretation. Report a unit for each additional block supported by the record.
Is 88332 for an intraoperative cytology examination?
No. It represents additional tissue-block frozen-section work. Intraoperative cytologic examination is represented by the separate 88333 and 88334 code family.
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
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