$87.69–$93.89
88333 covers the initial cytologic site examined during surgery; 88334 covers each additional site in the same intraoperative consultation.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
88334 Intraoperative cytology Medicare reimbursement rates in Oregon
Reports a pathologist’s intraoperative cytologic evaluation at each additional site after the initial site is examined during surgery. Compare 88334 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Oregon.
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 88334 in Oregon?
Oregon 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
$53.56–$57.37
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 88334: Additional intraoperative cytology consultation
Reports a pathologist’s intraoperative cytologic evaluation at each additional site after the initial site is examined during surgery.
A pathologist evaluates cytologic material from an additional site during surgery, often using a touch preparation or another rapid preparation to assess material while the procedure is underway. The result can help the surgical team make an immediate decision about the specimen or whether additional tissue is needed. This service is typically performed in connection with an operation, with laboratory staff preparing the material and the pathologist interpreting it.
Report 88334 with 88333 when the pathologist examines cytologic material from an additional site; the initial site is reported with 88333. Documentation should identify the sites examined and support a separate intraoperative evaluation for each additional site, rather than merely counting slides or preparations from one site. CMS classifies 88334 as an add-on billed with a primary procedure and paid within that procedure’s global period. Modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, modifier TC identifies the technical service, and an unmodified claim represents the global service.
CMS billing rules for 88334
- Global period
- Add-on code: billed only together with a primary procedure and paid within that procedure's global period.
- 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 RVU0.71 · 44%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.89 · 55%
- Malpractice RVU0.01 · 1%
26K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1033 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.
88334 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Oregon, from the same CMS release.
$96.67–$103.94
88331 reports intraoperative frozen-section examination of the initial tissue block. Choose 88334 when the additional evaluation is cytologic and site-based.
$53.11–$57.29
88332 is for each additional tissue block examined by frozen section; 88334 is for each additional site evaluated cytologically.
$51.59–$55.34
88329 describes an intraoperative pathology consultation based on gross examination. 88334 applies when the additional intraoperative evaluation is cytologic.
Compare 88334 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
Portland →
Office / nonfacility
$57.37
Facility
Unavailable
Rest Of Oregon →
Office / nonfacility
$53.56
Facility
Unavailable
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88334 billing questions
When should 88334 be reported instead of 88333?
88333 reports the initial cytologic site examined during surgery. Report 88334 for each additional site evaluated in that intraoperative consultation.
Does each slide or preparation count as another unit?
No. The distinction is based on additional sites examined, not the number of slides or preparations from the same site. Document the site associated with each additional evaluation.
Can 88334 be billed by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and is reported with the primary procedure, typically 88333 for the initial intraoperative cytologic site.
When are modifiers 26 and TC used?
Use modifier 26 for the pathologist’s interpretation and modifier TC for the technical service, including equipment and staff. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
How does 88334 differ from frozen-section codes 88331 and 88332?
88334 is for additional-site cytologic evaluation during surgery. Codes 88331 and 88332 report intraoperative examination of tissue blocks using frozen sections.
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.
11,24288333,,Path consltj surg cyto xm 1,A,,1.17,1.44,,1.44,NA,0.03,2.64,2.64,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,24388333,26,Path consltj surg cyto xm 1,A,,1.17,0.53,,0.53,,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
11,24488333,TC,Path consltj surg cyto xm 1,A,,0.00,0.91,,0.91,NA,0.01,0.92,0.92,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,24588334,,Path consltj surg cyto xm ea,A,,0.71,0.89,,0.89,NA,0.01,1.61,1.61,1,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,24688334,26,Path consltj surg cyto xm ea,A,,0.71,0.33,,0.33,,0.01,1.05,1.05,1,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,24788334,TC,Path consltj surg cyto xm ea,A,,0.00,0.56,,0.56,NA,0.00,0.56,0.56,1,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,24888341,,Imhchem/imcytchm ea add antb,A,,0.55,2.26,,2.26,NA,0.01,2.82,2.82,1,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00