$66.28–$69.49
88305 reports a surgical pathology examination at its specimen level; 88311 reports the separate decalcification preparation.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
88311 Tissue decalcification Medicare reimbursement rates in Maine
Reports laboratory decalcification that removes mineral from bone or other calcified tissue so the specimen can be sectioned for microscopic examination. Compare 88311 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Maine.
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 88311 in Maine?
Maine has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$18.55–$19.36
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
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 88311: Decalcification of tissue specimen
Reports laboratory decalcification that removes mineral from bone or other calcified tissue so the specimen can be sectioned for microscopic examination.
A histology laboratory decalcifies bone and other calcified tissue by removing mineral that would prevent the specimen from being cut into thin sections. This preparation may be needed for a bone biopsy, a bone-containing tumor specimen, or another calcified tissue sample before microscopic evaluation. Laboratory personnel generally perform the processing; a pathologist interprets the resulting tissue examination as part of the diagnostic workup.
Report 88311 when decalcification is performed, alongside the applicable surgical pathology examination when that specimen is also examined. The record should identify the specimen and support why decalcification was needed; the pathology report documents the diagnostic examination. CMS recognizes professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, modifier TC identifies the technical work, and billing without either modifier represents the global service. The professional and technical components are separately priced.
CMS billing rules for 88311
- 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 RVU0.23 · 39%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.34 · 58%
- Malpractice RVU0.02 · 3%
558.1K
Medicare services in 2024 · #213 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.
88311 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Maine, from the same CMS release.
$259.11–$275.02
88307 represents a level V surgical pathology examination, not the mineral-removal process used to prepare calcified tissue.
$101.91–$108.37
88312 reports a special stain procedure. Use 88311 for decalcification, which prepares tissue by removing mineral rather than applying a stain.
Compare 88311 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Rest Of Maine →
Office / nonfacility
$18.55
Facility
Unavailable
Southern Maine →
Office / nonfacility
$19.36
Facility
Unavailable
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88311 billing questions
Is 88311 the surgical pathology examination of the specimen?
No. It reports decalcification preparation; the surgical pathology code represents the examination and diagnostic work on the specimen.
Can 88311 be reported with a surgical pathology code?
Yes, when decalcification is performed and the same specimen also receives a surgical pathology examination. Select the examination code for the specimen and service documented.
Which modifier identifies the pathologist's work?
Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation. Modifier TC identifies the technical work, and no modifier represents the global service.
What should the record support?
Document the tissue specimen, the decalcification performed, and the associated microscopic examination when one is reported. The pathology report should support the diagnostic work.
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.
11,21288309,,Tissue exam by pathologist,A,,2.73,9.55,,9.55,NA,0.10,12.38,12.38,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,21388309,26,Tissue exam by pathologist,A,,2.73,1.25,,1.25,,0.05,4.03,4.03,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,21488309,TC,Tissue exam by pathologist,A,,0.00,8.30,,8.30,NA,0.05,8.35,8.35,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,21588311,,Decalcify tissue,A,,0.23,0.34,,0.34,NA,0.02,0.59,0.59,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,21688311,26,Decalcify tissue,A,,0.23,0.10,,0.10,,0.01,0.34,0.34,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,21788311,TC,Decalcify tissue,A,,0.00,0.24,,0.24,NA,0.01,0.25,0.25,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,21888312,,Special stains group 1,A,,0.53,2.72,,2.72,NA,0.03,3.28,3.28,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00