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CPT 88344: Multiplex Antibody Stain with Pathologist Interpretation
CPT code 88344 captures a multiplex immunohistochemical staining procedure performed on slide(s) from a single patient specimen with subsequent pathologist interpretation. The code covers both the technical staining process executed by laboratory staff and the professional interpretation provided by a qualified provider to establish a pathologic diagnosis, commonly used in evaluation of tumor tissue and other surgical pathology specimens. Nationally, this code matters because multiplex stains support diagnostic precision, guide targeted therapy selection, and influence downstream care pathways.
Payors included in the analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the clinical context for 88344, how it relates to single-antibody immunohistochemistry services, and where it fits within pathology service lines. The publication outlines common billing relationships to related single-stain codes, summarizes typical sites of service, and highlights what clinicians and billing professionals should expect when this service is billed for tumor and other tissue specimens.
The report provides benchmarks and payment context, clarifies coding relationships to related immunohistochemistry procedures, and presents operational considerations relevant to laboratory workflow and documentation. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 88344 describes a two-step diagnostic process in surgical pathology in which a laboratory analyst performs a single multiplex antibody stain on slide(s) prepared from a single patient specimen, and a qualified provider—typically a pathologist—reviews and interprets the stained slide(s) to render a pathologic diagnosis. This procedure is used to evaluate tissue such as tumor biopsies to characterize protein expression patterns that inform diagnosis and subsequent clinical management.
Service Type: Immunohistochemistry / Multiplex Antibody Staining with Pathologist Interpretation
Typical Site of Service: Anatomic pathology laboratory or hospital pathology department, with slides prepared from clinical tissue specimens (e.g., tumor tissue)
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Medicare’s mean rate of $120.8 sits slightly below the BUCA average commercial mean of $253, indicating that BUCA reimbursements are roughly double Medicare for CPT 88344 on a national basis. This gap highlights a meaningful spread between a federal benchmark and one set of commercial averages, with BUCA representing higher-than-Medicare compensation on average.
Dispersion measured as the interquartile range (P75 minus P25) is widest for Blue Cross Blue Shield at $159 (P75 $418.3 minus P25 $245.9) and for BUCA at $144 (P75 $306.4 minus P25 $162.2), indicating more variability in commercial contracting. The tightest interquartile spreads are Aetna at $96.3 and UnitedHealth Group at $90.1, followed by Cigna at $141.6; Medicare’s reported IQR is $131 (P75 $169 minus P25 $38). These differences suggest notable heterogeneity in commercial market pricing versus Medicare’s narrower midpoint distribution.