Billing code 88300: Gross pathologyMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports a pathologist’s macroscopic examination of a surgical specimen when the service is limited to gross inspection without microscopic evaluation.
Medicare pays $16.12–$17.68 for 88300 in the office in Oregon, from Rest Of Oregon to Portland. 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 88300 covers
A pathologist examines and documents a specimen’s visible features without preparing or reviewing tissue microscopically. This service may be performed in a hospital or pathology laboratory for material submitted for gross-only assessment, such as a removed device or foreign material. The specimen type and requested service must support gross examination alone; a specimen requiring histologic evaluation belongs at the appropriate microscopic surgical pathology level.
Report 88300 for each separately identified specimen that receives this gross-only service, supported by the accession record and a report documenting the examination. CMS recognizes separately priced professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies the pathologist’s interpretation, modifier TC identifies the technical service, and no modifier represents the global service. The professional component reflects the pathologist’s work; the technical component reflects the equipment and staff involved.
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.
Where 88300 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | $17.68 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Oregon | $16.12 | Unavailable |
How the 88300 rate is calculated
Each of 88300’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 · 88300
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.08
0.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.39
0.39 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.02
0.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.4900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$16.37
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 88300
The CMS indicators that decide how 88300 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 88300
Gross pathology
| 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
88300 without 26 · national office
$16.37
Gross pathology
88300-26 · Professional component
$4.34
Pays only the interpretation and report.
88300 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 88302Tissue pathology
- 88300 covers gross examination alone. 88302 is used for specified specimens receiving the corresponding microscopic surgical pathology service.
- 88329Pathology consult
- 88329 describes a pathology consultation during surgery. Use 88300 for a gross-only examination that is not an intraoperative consultation.
- 88331Frozen section
- 88331 reports an intraoperative consultation involving frozen-section evaluation. 88300 is for gross-only examination without that intraoperative service.
88300 billing questions
How do I distinguish 88300 from 88302 or a higher-level surgical pathology code?
88300 is for gross examination without microscopic evaluation. If the specimen receives microscopic examination, select the appropriate surgical pathology level based on the specimen and service.
Can the professional and technical components be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 identifies the professional component, and modifier TC identifies the technical component. Billing without either modifier represents the global service.
What documentation supports reporting 88300?
Keep the specimen accession information and a pathology report documenting gross examination only. The record should support why the service did not include microscopic evaluation.
Should 88300 be reported for an intraoperative pathology consultation?
A gross-only examination for final specimen assessment is distinct from an intraoperative consultation. Codes such as 88329 or 88331 describe intraoperative pathology services, depending on the service performed.
How are units determined?
Report the service for each separately identified specimen receiving gross-only examination, consistent with the accession and pathology documentation.
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
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