$89.18
88321 applies to consultation on slides prepared elsewhere. Choose 88325 when the work includes comprehensive review of relevant patient records and reports.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
88325 Pathology consultation Medicare reimbursement rates in Iowa
A pathologist reviews relevant patient records and diagnostic reports to provide a comprehensive consultation and written opinion on a referred case. Compare 88325 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Iowa.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 88325 in Iowa?
Iowa has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$146.27
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Iowa
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$108.98
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Iowa
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Surgical pathology
About 88325: Comprehensive pathology record review
A pathologist reviews relevant patient records and diagnostic reports to provide a comprehensive consultation and written opinion on a referred case.
A pathologist uses 88325 for a comprehensive second-opinion consultation that goes beyond interpreting referred slides alone. The work centers on reviewing relevant medical records and diagnostic reports in the context of the pathology question, then providing a consultative written report. Typical referrals include complex or discordant cancer diagnoses sent to an academic or specialty pathology service before treatment decisions. Referring clinicians may include oncologists, surgeons, or other pathologists. This service is distinct from an intraoperative consultation during surgery.
Report 88325 when documentation supports broad review of records and reports and a consultation report, rather than review of referred slides alone or preparation of slides from referred tissue. The report should identify the material and records considered, the diagnostic question, and the consultant’s conclusions. CMS assigns physician fee schedule work and practice-expense values to the service; the practice-expense value differs between office and facility settings.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU2.78 · 61%
- Practice expense (office) RVU1.70 · 37%
- Malpractice RVU0.11 · 2%
10.1K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1460 by national volume
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.
88325 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Iowa, from the same CMS release.
$108.01
88323 applies when referred material requires slide preparation. 88325 describes the broader records-and-reports consultation.
$48.83
88329 is for a pathology consultation during surgery. 88325 is for comprehensive review of a referred case, not an intraoperative service.
Compare 88325 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Iowa →
Office / nonfacility
$146.27
Facility
$108.98
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 88325 in Iowa.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
11,234
- Code
- 88325
- Physician work
- 2.78
- Practice expense
- 1.70
- Malpractice
- 0.11
GPCI2026.csv
53
- Locality
- Iowa
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.915
- Malpractice
- 0.397
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 2.78 | × 1.000 | 2.7800 |
| Practice expense | 1.70 | × 0.915 | 1.5555 |
| Malpractice | 0.11 | × 0.397 | 0.0437 |
| Total RVUs | 4.3792 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Iowa$146.27
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 2.78 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 1.7 | 0.915 |
| Malpractice | 0.11 | 0.397 |
(2.78 × 1 + 1.7 × 0.915 + 0.11 × 0.397) × $33.4009 = $146.27
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 2.78 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 0.48 | 0.915 |
| Malpractice | 0.11 | 0.397 |
(2.78 × 1 + 0.48 × 0.915 + 0.11 × 0.397) × $33.4009 = $108.98
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
88325 billing questions
When should 88325 be selected instead of 88321?
Use 88325 for a comprehensive review that includes relevant patient records and reports. Code 88321 describes consultation on referred slides prepared elsewhere.
How does 88325 differ from 88323?
88325 centers on comprehensive review of the patient’s records and reports. 88323 is for referred material that requires slide preparation.
What documentation supports 88325?
Document the records and reports reviewed, the pathology question, the consultant’s assessment, and the resulting written opinion.
Does 88325 represent the original specimen examination?
No. It represents the comprehensive consultation. The original specimen examination is a separate service when performed and supported by its own documentation.
Can 88325 be used for an intraoperative pathology consultation?
No. For a pathology consultation performed during surgery, consider 88329, which describes that intraoperative circumstance.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
11,23188323,,Consltj&reprt matrl prep sld,A,,1.78,1.58,,1.58,NA,0.02,3.38,3.38,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,23288323,26,Consltj&reprt matrl prep sld,A,,1.78,0.70,,0.70,,0.01,2.49,2.49,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,23388323,TC,Consltj&reprt matrl prep sld,A,,0.00,0.88,,0.88,NA,0.01,0.89,0.89,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,23488325,,Consltj compre rvw rec reprt,A,,2.78,1.70,,0.48,,0.11,4.59,3.37,0,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,23588329,,Path consltj drg surg,A,,0.65,0.87,,0.15,,0.04,1.56,0.84,0,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,23688331,,Path consltj surg 1 blk 1spc,A,,1.16,1.72,,1.72,NA,0.03,2.91,2.91,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,23788331,26,Path consltj surg 1 blk 1spc,A,,1.16,0.55,,0.55,,0.02,1.73,1.73,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5006102,IL,15,SUBURBAN CHICAGO,1.007,1.027,1.772
5106102,IL,99,REST OF ILLINOIS,1.000,0.913,1.563
5208102,IN,00,INDIANA,1.000,0.927,0.486
5305102,IA,00,IOWA,1.000,0.915,0.397
5405202,KS,00,KANSAS,1.000,0.904,0.504
5515102,KY,00,KENTUCKY,1.000,0.889,0.915
5607202,LA,01,NEW ORLEANS,1.000,0.941,1.136