Summary & Overview
CPT 0828T: Slide Digitization for Pathology
CPT code 0828T is an add–on pathology billing code for clinical staff work to scan and digitize whole–slide images from glass microscope slides for immediate or later pathologic diagnosis. It is reported one unit per digitized slide set linked to one unit of cytopathology code 88106 (simple filter–method smears of noncervical/vaginal fluids, washings, or brushings). The code reflects growing adoption of digital pathology workflows that enable remote review, archiving, and computer-assisted analysis.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the code’s clinical context, typical sites of service, and its relationship to cytopathology workflows. The publication outlines how the code is used operationally and explains where to expect this code on pathology service lines.
This summary also previews benchmarking and payer coverage trends, coding guidance, and clinical implementation considerations relevant at the national level. Data elements not supplied in the input are noted as unavailable where applicable. The focus is on clear, actionable information about what 0828T represents and how it integrates into digital pathology service delivery.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 0828T describes clinical staff work to scan and digitize whole–slide images from glass microscope slides for immediate or later pathologic diagnosis. This add–on code is reported per unit of digitizing slides associated with one unit of cytopathology code 88106, which covers simple filter–method smears of noncervical or nonvaginal fluids, washings, or brushings.
Service type: Slide digitization and image processing for pathology
Typical site of service: Anatomic pathology laboratory or hospital pathology department, where clinical laboratory staff prepare and scan glass slides for digital pathology review and diagnosis.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 58-year-old patient with a palpable abdominal mass undergoes a percutaneous needle aspiration of a non-gynecologic fluid collection. The specimen is sent to the pathology laboratory where a cytotechnologist prepares simple filter-method smears for rapid assessment. The laboratory performs whole-slide imaging to digitize the glass slides so that a pathologist can review the cytology remotely for immediate or later diagnostic interpretation. Clinical staff operate an automated scanner to scan each glass slide, create whole-slide digital images, and attach digital labels and quality-control metadata before the images are imported into the laboratory information system for pathologist review. Billing reports one unit of the add-on code 0828T for each unit of cytopathology code 88106 digitized; the scanning is performed in an outpatient pathology or hospital laboratory setting and billed as an adjunct to the cytology technical process.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when the digitization required substantially greater resources than typical (e.g., complex slide preparation or extensive manual intervention) and documentation supports increased work. |