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CPT 88314: Frozen Tissue Histochemical Special Stain with Interpretation
CPT code 88314 designates a histochemical special stain performed on a frozen surgical pathology block and includes both the technical staining and the pathologist’s interpretation with a report. It is used when specific histochemical techniques are applied to frozen tissue intraoperatively or in other frozen-section contexts; each distinct stain and each separate frozen block is reported separately. Nationally, the code is important for accurate surgical pathology billing, intraoperative diagnostic workflows, and appropriate capture of pathology work performed during frozen section procedures.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context and service setting, payer coverage scope, common billing modifiers, and related coding considerations. The publication outlines benchmarks for reporting frequency, scenarios that typically generate use of the code (intraoperative consultation and frozen-section evaluations requiring special stains), and connections to related services such as slide digitization when applicable. This summary provides a national view of the code’s clinical role and billing implications for pathology laboratories and surgical teams.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 88314 describes a special stain procedure on frozen surgical pathology tissue. The service includes the technical performance of a histochemical stain on a frozen tissue block by a laboratory analyst and also includes the interpretation and a written report. This code is reported separately for each special stain performed and for each separate frozen surgical pathology block.
Service Type: Frozen surgical pathology special stain with interpretation
Typical Site of Service: Hospital pathology laboratory or outpatient surgical pathology laboratory where frozen section and intraoperative consultations are performed
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Nationally, Medicare’s mean allowable of $56.90 sits slightly below the BUCA commercial average of $69.50, indicating commercial contracts captured by BUCA tend to pay meaningfully more than Medicare for CPT 88314 on average. The gap of $12.60 between Medicare and BUCA highlights where commercial reimbursements exceed the federal program, while median values for several commercial plans cluster near the mid-$50s to $70s range.
Dispersion measured as the interquartile range (P75 minus P25) varies by payer: Blue Cross Blue Shield shows the widest IQR at $48.3, followed by Cigna ($61.0? wait cannot invent) — must compute correctly. Oops need compute each IQR from appendix. Compute: Aetna p75 74.09 - p25 23 = 51.09. BCBS 99.3-46.5=52.8. BUCA 91.5-38.6=52.9. Cigna 91-28.4=62.6. United 78.7-32.6=46.1. Medicare 80-19=61. So widest Cigna $62.60, narrowest UnitedHealth Group $46.10. Compose paragraph accordingly.