Billing code 88106: Fluid cytologyMedicare rate & RVUs in Delaware
Reports cytologic preparation and interpretation of a non-gynecologic fluid, washing, or brushing specimen processed with a filter technique.
Medicare pays $66.78 for 88106 in the office in Delaware (Delaware). 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 9 sections
What 88106 covers
This service evaluates cells from a non-gynecologic fluid, washing, or brushing after the laboratory uses filtration to prepare material for microscopic examination. Common specimens include pleural or peritoneal fluid, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and bronchial washings. Cytotechnologists typically prepare and screen the slides, with a pathologist providing the cytologic interpretation. The service is performed in a clinical laboratory or pathology department for diagnostic evaluation, such as investigating abnormal cells in an effusion or urinary specimen.
Select this code when the documented specimen is non-gynecologic and the laboratory used a filter-based preparation, rather than a direct smear or another preparation method. The record should identify the specimen source, the preparation technique, and the interpretation. Report the global service without a component modifier; use modifier 26 for the professional interpretation or modifier TC for the technical preparation and laboratory work when those components are billed separately. The CMS file separately prices both 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.
88106 in Delaware
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $66.78 | Unavailable |
How the 88106 rate is calculated
Each of 88106’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 · 88106
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.36Practice expense 1.63Malpractice 0.03
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 88106
The CMS indicators that decide how 88106 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 88106
Fluid cytology
| 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
88106 without 26 · national office
$67.47
Fluid cytology
88106-26 · Professional component
$17.70
Pays only the interpretation and report.
88106 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
88106 vs 88104 vs 88108 vs 88112: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 88104Fluid cytology
- Choose 88106 when filtration is the documented preparation method. Choose 88104 for the corresponding non-gynecologic fluid, washing, or brushing smear service without that filter method.
- 88108Concentrated cytology
- Both cover non-gynecologic fluid cytology, but 88108 uses a concentration technique. The documented laboratory preparation method distinguishes it from 88106.
- 88112Selective-enhancement cytology
- 88112 identifies selective cellular enhancement, not filter-based preparation. Use the code that matches the method actually used to prepare the specimen.
88106 billing questions
How does this differ from 88104?
88106 identifies filter-based preparation of a non-gynecologic specimen. 88104 is for smear preparation and interpretation without the filter technique distinction.
When would 88108 be a better fit?
Use 88108 when the specimen is prepared with a concentration technique rather than the filter method represented by 88106. Follow the actual laboratory method documented for the specimen.
Can the professional and technical services be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service. Billing without either modifier represents the global service.
What documentation supports reporting 88106?
Document the non-gynecologic specimen source, the use of filter-based preparation, and the cytologic interpretation. Examples include pleural fluid, urine, or a bronchial washing processed by filtration.
Can 88106 and 88104 be reported for the same specimen?
The preparation method determines the appropriate code: 88106 describes filter-based preparation, while 88104 describes smear preparation. Do not report both merely to represent different steps in preparing the same specimen.
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
Put 88106 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →