$75.48
Use 88160 when the smear is already prepared for screening and interpretation. Use 88161 when the service also includes preparation.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
88160 Cytology smear Medicare reimbursement rates in Kentucky
Use this code for screening and interpretation of a cytology smear from a non-cervical, non-vaginal source when the smear is already prepared. Compare 88160 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Kentucky.
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 88160 in Kentucky?
Kentucky 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
$74.29
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Kentucky
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
No supported rate
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.
Cytopathology
About 88160: Other-source cytology smear screening
Use this code for screening and interpretation of a cytology smear from a non-cervical, non-vaginal source when the smear is already prepared.
This service covers microscopic screening and interpretation of a smear made from a non-gynecologic specimen. Examples include smears from urine, sputum, or body-cavity fluid. A cytotechnologist may screen the slide, with a pathologist providing interpretation as needed. The code is relevant when the submitted material is a smear; it is not the cervical or vaginal cytology service or a fine-needle aspiration evaluation.
Choose the code based on the specimen source and the work performed. Documentation should identify the source, support that a smear was examined, and record the screening and interpretation. When the smear is already prepared, this code distinguishes the service from 88161, which includes preparation. CMS recognizes separately priced professional and technical components: modifier 26 reports the interpretation, modifier TC reports the technical component, and no component modifier represents the global service.
CMS billing rules for 88160
- Professional and technical components
- Diagnostic test with a professional component (modifier 26, interpretation) and a technical component (modifier TC, equipment and staff); billing without a modifier is the global service.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.49 · 20%
- Practice expense (office) RVU1.92 · 79%
- Malpractice RVU0.03 · 1%
4.9K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1875 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.
88160 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Kentucky, from the same CMS release.
$116.21
88162 describes an extended study with selected review of technical preparation, presentation, and clinical information, rather than routine smear screening and interpretation.
$62.78
88108 involves a concentration technique for cytology specimens; 88160 is for screening and interpreting a smear from another source.
88142
No office rateCytopath c/v thin layer
88142 is a cervical or vaginal cytology service using thin-layer preparation. 88160 is for a smear from a different source.
Compare 88160 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
Kentucky →
Office / nonfacility
$74.29
Facility
Unavailable
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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 88160 in Kentucky.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
11,135
- Code
- 88160
- Physician work
- 0.49
- Practice expense
- 1.92
- Malpractice
- 0.03
GPCI2026.csv
55
- Locality
- Kentucky
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.889
- Malpractice
- 0.915
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.49 | × 1.000 | 0.4900 |
| Practice expense | 1.92 | × 0.889 | 1.7069 |
| Malpractice | 0.03 | × 0.915 | 0.0274 |
| Total RVUs | 2.2243 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Kentucky$74.29
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.49 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 1.92 | 0.889 |
| Malpractice | 0.03 | 0.915 |
(0.49 × 1 + 1.92 × 0.889 + 0.03 × 0.915) × $33.4009 = $74.29
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.
88160 billing questions
How does 88160 differ from 88161?
88160 is for screening and interpretation of an already prepared smear. 88161 includes preparation as well as screening and interpretation.
Can 88160 be used for a cervical or vaginal smear?
No. This code is for smears from other sources; cervical or vaginal cytology belongs to the applicable gynecologic cytology code.
Which modifiers identify the components?
Modifier 26 reports the professional interpretation, and modifier TC reports the technical component. Reporting without either modifier represents the global service.
What specimen details support reporting this code?
Document the specimen source and that a prepared smear was screened and interpreted. The record should make clear that the specimen is not cervical or vaginal.
Is this the code for fine-needle aspiration evaluation?
No. Fine-needle aspiration evaluation uses codes specific to that service; 88160 describes screening and interpretation of a smear from another source.
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.
11,13288152,,Cytopath c/v auto redo,X,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,13388153,,Cytopath c/v redo,X,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,13488155,,Cytopath c/v index add-on,X,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,13588160,,Cytopath smear other source,A,,0.49,1.92,,1.92,NA,0.03,2.44,2.44,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,13688160,26,Cytopath smear other source,A,,0.49,0.22,,0.22,,0.01,0.72,0.72,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,13788160,TC,Cytopath smear other source,A,,0.00,1.70,,1.70,NA,0.02,1.72,1.72,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,13888161,,Cytopath smear other source,A,,0.49,1.96,,1.96,NA,0.03,2.48,2.48,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
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
5707202,LA,99,REST OF LOUISIANA,1.000,0.885,0.958
5814112,ME,03,SOUTHERN MAINE,1.000,0.991,0.631