$89.39
88321 is for review of referred slides already prepared elsewhere. Choose 88323 when preparing slides from the referred material is required.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
88323 Pathology consultation Medicare reimbursement rates in Kentucky
A pathologist prepares slides from referred tissue material, examines it for an outside diagnostic opinion, and reports findings when already-prepared slides are insufficient. Compare 88323 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 88323 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
$106.98
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.
Surgical pathology
About 88323: Referred tissue consultation with slide preparation
A pathologist prepares slides from referred tissue material, examines it for an outside diagnostic opinion, and reports findings when already-prepared slides are insufficient.
A pathologist uses 88323 when another facility or clinician sends tissue material for an outside diagnostic opinion and slide preparation is needed before review. The pathologist may prepare sections from a referred tissue block, examine the resulting slides, and issue a consultation report. This service can support a second opinion on a biopsy or resection when specialist review may affect diagnosis or treatment planning. It is commonly performed in a hospital or independent pathology laboratory.
Report 88323 for consultation on referred material when slide preparation is required. Use 88321 when the referred slides are already prepared; 88325 describes a comprehensive consultation that includes record review. Documentation should identify the material received, preparation performed, interpretation, and consultation report. CMS recognizes a professional component for interpretation and a technical component for equipment and staff. Report modifier 26 for the professional component, TC for the technical component, or neither modifier for the global service.
CMS billing rules for 88323
- 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 RVU1.78 · 53%
- Practice expense (office) RVU1.58 · 47%
- Malpractice RVU0.02 · 1%
31.4K
Medicare services in 2024 · #956 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.
88323 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Kentucky, from the same CMS release.
$146.70
88325 describes a comprehensive consultation that includes review of records. 88323 centers on referred material requiring slide preparation.
$65.08
88305 is a routine surgical pathology examination of a specimen. 88323 is a consultation on referred material that requires slide preparation.
$48.77
88329 is a pathology consultation during surgery. 88323 covers consultation on referred material requiring slide preparation.
Compare 88323 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
$106.98
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 88323 in Kentucky.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
11,231
- Code
- 88323
- Physician work
- 1.78
- Practice expense
- 1.58
- Malpractice
- 0.02
GPCI2026.csv
55
- Locality
- Kentucky
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.889
- Malpractice
- 0.915
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 1.78 | × 1.000 | 1.7800 |
| Practice expense | 1.58 | × 0.889 | 1.4046 |
| Malpractice | 0.02 | × 0.915 | 0.0183 |
| Total RVUs | 3.2029 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Kentucky$106.98
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.78 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 1.58 | 0.889 |
| Malpractice | 0.02 | 0.915 |
(1.78 × 1 + 1.58 × 0.889 + 0.02 × 0.915) × $33.4009 = $106.98
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.
88323 billing questions
When should I choose 88323 instead of 88321?
Use 88323 when referred material needs slide preparation for the consultation. Use 88321 when the pathologist reviews slides that were already prepared elsewhere.
How does 88323 differ from 88325?
88323 applies when slide preparation is required for the referred material. 88325 is for a comprehensive consultation that includes review of records.
Can the professional and technical components be billed separately?
Yes. Use modifier 26 for the professional interpretation and report, or TC for the technical work involving equipment and staff. Report the global service without either modifier when both components are furnished.
What documentation supports reporting 88323?
Document the referred material received, the slide preparation performed, the pathologist’s interpretation, and the consultation report.
Is 88323 the same as a routine surgical pathology examination?
No. 88323 is for a consultation on referred material requiring slide preparation. A routine surgical pathology examination, such as 88305, concerns examination of a specimen rather than this referred-material consultation.
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.
11,22888319,26,Enzyme histochemistry,A,,0.52,0.23,,0.23,,0.01,0.76,0.76,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,22988319,TC,Enzyme histochemistry,A,,0.00,3.17,,3.17,NA,0.02,3.19,3.19,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,23088321,,Consltj&reprt sld prep elswr,A,,1.59,1.15,,0.36,,0.07,2.81,2.02,0,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,23188323,,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
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