$91.96–$100.49
88331 covers the initial tissue block in an intraoperative frozen-section consultation; 88332 is for each additional block examined.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
88332 Frozen section Medicare reimbursement rates in Texas
Reports a pathologist’s intraoperative frozen-section examination of each additional tissue block beyond the initial block, such as when assessing surgical margins. Compare 88332 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Texas.
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 88332 in Texas?
Texas has 8 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 8 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$50.39–$55.34
8 of 8 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.
Where 88332 pays more and less in Texas
8 payment localities
$50.39 to $55.34
Surgical pathology
About 88332: Additional intraoperative frozen-section block
Reports a pathologist’s intraoperative frozen-section examination of each additional tissue block beyond the initial block, such as when assessing surgical margins.
A pathologist uses this service during an operation to examine an additional tissue block by frozen section and provide an immediate diagnostic opinion to the surgeon. It is commonly used when further tissue is submitted to assess a margin or clarify an intraoperative finding. The work may occur in a hospital or other surgical setting with the specimen processed and examined while the procedure is underway.
Report 88332 for each additional block examined after the initial block, typically with 88331 for the first block. The operative and pathology records should support the number of distinct blocks examined and the intraoperative interpretation communicated to the surgical team. For Medicare, modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, modifier TC identifies the technical service, and reporting without either modifier represents the global service. CMS separately prices the 26 and TC components.
CMS billing rules for 88332
- 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 RVU0.58 · 36%
- Practice expense (office) RVU1.00 · 63%
- Malpractice RVU0.02 · 1%
117.1K
Medicare services in 2024 · #520 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.
88332 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Texas, from the same CMS release.
$51.08–$55.51
88334 covers additional intraoperative cytologic examinations, while 88332 covers additional tissue blocks examined by frozen section.
$49.40–$53.68
88329 represents an intraoperative pathology consultation based on gross examination. Choose 88332 when an additional tissue block is examined by frozen section.
Compare 88332 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.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Office $55.34 | Facility Unavailable |
| Beaumont | Office $50.39 | Facility Unavailable |
| Brazoria | Office $53.15 | Facility Unavailable |
| Dallas | Office $53.39 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fort Worth | Office $53.06 | Facility Unavailable |
| Galveston | Office $53.25 | Facility Unavailable |
| Houston | Office $53.61 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Texas | Office $51.67 | Facility Unavailable |
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88332 billing questions
When should 88332 be reported instead of 88331?
Use 88331 for the initial tissue block in the intraoperative frozen-section consultation. Report 88332 for each additional block examined during that consultation.
Can 88332 be reported with 88331?
Yes. The additional-block service is reported with 88331 for the initial block when the pathologist examines further blocks during the same intraoperative consultation.
Which modifiers identify the components?
Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
What documentation supports multiple units?
The pathology record should identify the additional blocks examined and document the intraoperative findings or interpretation. Report a unit for each additional block supported by the record.
Is 88332 for an intraoperative cytology examination?
No. It represents additional tissue-block frozen-section work. Intraoperative cytologic examination is represented by the separate 88333 and 88334 code family.
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.
11,23688331,,Path consltj surg 1 blk 1spc,A,,1.16,1.72,,1.72,NA,0.03,2.91,2.91,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,23788331,26,Path consltj surg 1 blk 1spc,A,,1.16,0.55,,0.55,,0.02,1.73,1.73,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,23888331,TC,Path consltj surg 1 blk 1spc,A,,0.00,1.17,,1.17,NA,0.01,1.18,1.18,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,23988332,,Path consltj surg ea add blk,A,,0.58,1.00,,1.00,NA,0.02,1.60,1.60,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,24088332,26,Path consltj surg ea add blk,A,,0.58,0.28,,0.28,,0.01,0.87,0.87,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,24188332,TC,Path consltj surg ea add blk,A,,0.00,0.72,,0.72,NA,0.01,0.73,0.73,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,24288333,,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