Billing code 88348: Electron microscopyMedicare rate & RVUs
Reports ultrastructural examination of tissue, such as a kidney biopsy, when electron microscopy is needed to evaluate a diagnostic question.
Medicare pays $477.97 for 88348 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $416.12–$669.30.
Medicare rate · 88348
Electron microscopy
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
- Work RVUs
- 1.47
- Total RVUs
- 14.31
- Global days
- XXX
National rate · 2026
$477.97
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 88348 → · 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 88348 covers
A pathology laboratory prepares tissue for examination at ultrastructural resolution, typically by embedding it, cutting very thin sections, and viewing them with an electron microscope. A pathologist interprets the findings. A familiar use is evaluating a kidney biopsy for changes in glomerular basement membranes, deposits, or other features that help characterize renal disease. The service may also be used for other tissue when the diagnostic question requires ultrastructural detail.
Report 88348 for the diagnostic electron microscopy service, not simply because a specimen was submitted for routine microscopic review. The pathology documentation should identify the tissue examined, the reason for the study, and the electron-microscopic findings and interpretation. CMS recognizes a professional component for the interpretation, reported with modifier 26, and a technical component for equipment and staff, reported with modifier TC. Without either modifier, the code represents the global service. The professional and technical components are separately priced when billed with their respective modifiers.
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 88348 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
$416.12 to $669.30
109 of 109 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $423.12 | Unavailable |
| Alaska* | $528.33 | Unavailable |
| Arizona | $464.22 | Unavailable |
| Arkansas | $416.12 | Unavailable |
| Atlanta | $485.72 | Unavailable |
| Austin | $502.25 | Unavailable |
| Bakersfield | $518.12 | Unavailable |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | $510.72 | Unavailable |
| Beaumont | $439.44 | Unavailable |
| Brazoria | $473.65 | Unavailable |
| Chicago | $485.63 | Unavailable |
| Chico | $517.73 | Unavailable |
| Colorado | $504.87 | Unavailable |
| Connecticut | $512.50 | Unavailable |
| Dallas | $476.14 | Unavailable |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | $556.70 | Unavailable |
| Delaware | $472.71 | Unavailable |
| Detroit | $465.85 | Unavailable |
| East St. Louis | $448.04 | Unavailable |
| El Centro | $517.75 | Unavailable |
| Fort Lauderdale | $486.73 | Unavailable |
| Fort Worth | $471.94 | Unavailable |
| Fresno | $517.73 | Unavailable |
| Galveston | $474.70 | Unavailable |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $517.73 | Unavailable |
| Hawaii, Guam | $534.49 | Unavailable |
| Houston | $476.89 | Unavailable |
| Idaho | $441.87 | Unavailable |
| Indiana | $444.89 | Unavailable |
| Iowa | $439.44 | Unavailable |
| Kansas | $435.19 | Unavailable |
| Kentucky | $430.47 | Unavailable |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | $556.38 | Unavailable |
| Madera | $517.73 | Unavailable |
| Manhattan | $552.29 | Unavailable |
| Merced | $517.73 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Boston | $561.96 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | $451.96 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | $497.04 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | $457.58 | Unavailable |
| Miami | $501.51 | Unavailable |
| Minnesota | $487.47 | Unavailable |
| Mississippi | $417.87 | Unavailable |
| Modesto | $517.73 | Unavailable |
| Montana** | $477.96 | Unavailable |
| Napa | $614.19 | Unavailable |
| Nebraska | $442.76 | Unavailable |
| Nevada** | $477.72 | Unavailable |
| New Hampshire | $494.89 | Unavailable |
| New Mexico | $443.51 | Unavailable |
| New Orleans | $453.45 | Unavailable |
| North Carolina | $448.05 | Unavailable |
| North Dakota** | $475.59 | Unavailable |
| Northern Nj | $549.31 | Unavailable |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | $564.84 | Unavailable |
| Ohio | $441.04 | Unavailable |
| Oklahoma | $431.61 | Unavailable |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $555.16 | Unavailable |
| Portland | $524.89 | Unavailable |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | $521.38 | Unavailable |
| Puerto Rico | $482.58 | Unavailable |
| Queens | $560.21 | Unavailable |
| Redding | $517.73 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of California | $517.73 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Florida | $461.29 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Georgia | $432.85 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Illinois | $443.26 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Louisiana | $428.94 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Maine | $442.46 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Maryland | $483.23 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | $500.46 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Michigan | $441.52 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Missouri | $419.23 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of New Jersey | $519.41 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of New York | $455.53 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Oregon | $475.08 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | $442.91 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Texas | $455.91 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Washington | $500.16 | Unavailable |
| Rhode Island | $492.49 | Unavailable |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $519.05 | Unavailable |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $547.13 | Unavailable |
| Salinas | $545.18 | Unavailable |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $560.88 | Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | $654.66 | Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | $654.52 | Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | $669.30 | Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | $668.74 | Unavailable |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $536.00 | Unavailable |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $568.48 | Unavailable |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $548.01 | Unavailable |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $574.45 | Unavailable |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | $576.13 | Unavailable |
| South Carolina | $445.08 | Unavailable |
| South Dakota** | $475.31 | Unavailable |
| Southern Maine | $472.66 | Unavailable |
| Stockton | $517.73 | Unavailable |
| Suburban Chicago | $492.88 | Unavailable |
| Tennessee | $437.45 | Unavailable |
| Utah | $452.07 | Unavailable |
| Vallejo | $614.00 | Unavailable |
| Vermont | $471.74 | Unavailable |
| Virgin Islands | $482.58 | Unavailable |
| Virginia | $469.57 | Unavailable |
| Visalia | $517.73 | Unavailable |
| West Virginia | $424.04 | Unavailable |
| Wisconsin | $457.35 | Unavailable |
| Wyoming** | $476.92 | Unavailable |
| Yuba City | $517.73 | Unavailable |
88348 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.
$416.12
$593.52
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 | $528.33 | 1 |
| AL | $423.12 | 1 |
| AR | $416.12 | 1 |
| AZ | $464.22 | 1 |
| CA | $517.73–$669.30 | 29 |
| CO | $504.87 | 1 |
| CT | $512.50 | 1 |
| DC | $556.70 | 1 |
| DE | $472.71 | 1 |
| FL | $461.29–$501.51 | 3 |
| GA | $432.85–$485.72 | 2 |
| GU | $534.49 | 1 |
| HI | $534.49 | 1 |
| IA | $439.44 | 1 |
| ID | $441.87 | 1 |
| IL | $443.26–$492.88 | 4 |
| IN | $444.89 | 1 |
| KS | $435.19 | 1 |
| KY | $430.47 | 1 |
| LA | $428.94–$453.45 | 2 |
| MA | $500.46–$561.96 | 2 |
| MD | $483.23–$556.70 | 3 |
| ME | $442.46–$472.66 | 2 |
| MI | $441.52–$465.85 | 2 |
| MN | $487.47 | 1 |
| MO | $419.23–$457.58 | 3 |
| MS | $417.87 | 1 |
| MT | $477.96 | 1 |
| NC | $448.05 | 1 |
| ND | $475.59 | 1 |
| NE | $442.76 | 1 |
| NH | $494.89 | 1 |
| NJ | $519.41–$549.31 | 2 |
| NM | $443.51 | 1 |
| NV | $477.72 | 1 |
| NY | $455.53–$564.84 | 5 |
| OH | $441.04 | 1 |
| OK | $431.61 | 1 |
| OR | $475.08–$524.89 | 2 |
| PA | $442.91–$497.04 | 2 |
| PR | $482.58 | 1 |
| RI | $492.49 | 1 |
| SC | $445.08 | 1 |
| SD | $475.31 | 1 |
| TN | $437.45 | 1 |
| TX | $439.44–$502.25 | 8 |
| UT | $452.07 | 1 |
| VA | $469.57–$556.70 | 2 |
| VI | $482.58 | 1 |
| VT | $471.74 | 1 |
| WA | $500.16–$576.13 | 2 |
| WI | $457.35 | 1 |
| WV | $424.04 | 1 |
| WY | $476.92 | 1 |
How the 88348 rate is calculated
Each of 88348’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 · 88348
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.47Practice expense 12.72Malpractice 0.12
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 88348
The CMS indicators that decide how 88348 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 88348
Electron microscopy
| 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
88348 without 26 · national office
$477.97
Electron microscopy
88348-26 · Professional component
$72.15
Pays only the interpretation and report.
88348 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
88348 vs 88346 vs 88355 vs 88342: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 88346Immunofluorescence
- Choose 88348 for ultrastructural examination by electron microscopy; choose 88346 for immunofluorescence examination using the first antibody stain.
- 88355Muscle analysis
- 88348 evaluates tissue ultrastructure by electron microscopy. 88355 is morphometric analysis of skeletal muscle, not an electron-microscopy service.
- 88342Antibody stain
- 88348 is an ultrastructural microscopy service. 88342 reports immunohistochemical staining and examination for the first antibody.
88348 billing questions
When is 88348 appropriate for a kidney biopsy?
Use it when the biopsy workup includes diagnostic ultrastructural examination to address a renal pathology question. Routine tissue microscopy or immunofluorescence alone is not this service.
How does 88348 differ from 88346?
88348 reports electron-microscopic examination of ultrastructure. 88346 reports immunofluorescence staining and examination for the first antibody.
Can the professional and technical portions be billed separately?
Yes. Report modifier 26 for the professional interpretation and modifier TC for the technical work, including equipment and staff. Without either modifier, 88348 represents the global service.
What documentation supports reporting 88348?
Document the tissue source, the diagnostic reason for electron microscopy, and the ultrastructural findings and interpretation. The record should support that electron microscopy was performed, rather than only routine histology or antibody staining.
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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