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CPT 88342: Single-Antibody Immunohistochemistry with Pathologist Interpretation
CPT code 88342 denotes an initial single-antibody immunohistochemical stain performed on slide(s) from a single patient specimen with subsequent interpretation by a qualified provider, most often a pathologist. This code is central to diagnostic workups in oncology and other surgical pathology contexts because immunohistochemistry helps determine tumor origin, subtype, and therapeutic targets, influencing clinical decisions and downstream care.
The analysis covers major national payers including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find concise benchmarking and policy context for billing and coverage of single-antibody immunohistochemistry services, clinical implications for pathology workflows, and references to related procedural codes used when additional stains or specialized analyses are performed.
The publication explains typical clinical settings and service delivery for 88342, clarifies how this procedure fits into pathology diagnostic sequences, and outlines operational considerations affecting billing and documentation. It also highlights related services such as additional antibody stains and manual morphometric analysis to help readers understand code relationships and common billing scenarios. Data not available in the input where applicable will be clearly noted in the detailed sections.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 88342 describes a pathology service in which a laboratory analyst performs an initial single antibody immunohistochemical stain on slide(s) prepared from a single patient specimen, commonly tumor tissue. A qualified provider, typically a pathologist, then reviews and interprets the stained slide(s) to render a pathologic diagnosis.
Service Type: Immunohistochemistry single antibody stain with pathologist interpretation
Typical Site of Service: Hospital pathology laboratory, independent or hospital-affiliated diagnostic laboratory, or outpatient pathology laboratory
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National averages place Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna above Medicare for CPT 88342, with BUCA’s mean ($104.90) roughly 37% higher than Medicare’s mean ($76.60). UnitedHealth Group ($70.90) and Cigna ($75.80) sit nearer to Medicare, while Aetna ($111.50) and Blue Cross Blue Shield ($119.00) pull the commercial mean upward; BUCA’s mean aligns with the higher-commercial tier but remains slightly below Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Dispersion measured by the interquartile range (P75–P25) is widest for Aetna at $91.70, indicating more variability in negotiated commercial rates, followed by Blue Cross Blue Shield with a $55.80 IQR. UnitedHealth Group ($50.00) and Cigna ($67.20) show moderate dispersion. BUCA’s IQR is $63.30 and Medicare’s IQR is $73.00; Aetna is the most dispersed and Blue Cross Blue Shield is also relatively wide, while UnitedHealth Group is the tightest among payers with full quartile data.