Billing code 88341: ImmunostainMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $94.19 for 88341 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $83.39–$129.42.

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

What 88341 covers

This service covers another single-antibody immunohistochemistry or immunocytochemistry stain on a specimen after its first single-antibody stain. A laboratory applies a distinct antibody, such as a keratin or CD marker, to tissue sections or cytology material. A pathologist interprets the staining to help classify a carcinoma, lymphoma, or other lesion. Hospital pathology departments and independent laboratories perform the staining; the specimen may also have a separately reported surgical pathology examination.

Report one unit for each distinct additional single-antibody stain per specimen, not for each slide or tissue block. Report the initial single-antibody stain on each separately identified specimen with 88342; document the specimen, antibodies tested, and results. Control slides do not generate additional units. As an add-on, 88341 must accompany a primary procedure and is paid within that procedure’s global period. Modifier 26 identifies the pathologist’s interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the laboratory’s staining, reagents, and staff work when components are billed separately. Billing without either modifier identifies 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 88341 pays more and less

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

109 of 109 payment localities

88341 rates by state

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

How the 88341 rate is calculated

Each of 88341’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 88341

The CMS indicators that decide how 88341 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 26

88341 compared with similar codes

How to choose

88342Antibody stain

88342 reports the initial single-antibody stain on a specimen. 88341 reports each additional distinct single-antibody stain on that specimen and is an add-on code.

88344Immunostain

88344 reports a multiplex procedure producing distinguishable results from multiple antibodies. Report 88341 for an additional separate single-antibody stain.

88360Tumor IHC scoring

88360 reports manual morphometric analysis of a tumor immunostain. Do not also report 88341 for that antibody on the same specimen.

88350Immunofluorescence

88350 reports an additional immunofluorescence antibody stain, such as in direct immunofluorescence of renal or skin tissue. 88341 reports an additional immunohistochemistry or immunocytochemistry single-antibody stain.

Codes related to 88341

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