CMS October 2026Physician Fee Schedule · Free lookup
CPT 88173 Medicare Fee Schedule 2026
Medicare's 2026 national payment for CPT 88173 is $166.67 in a non-facility setting ($166.67 in a facility), up 155.1% from $65.34 in 2025.
National rate, October 2026
- Non-facility
- $166.67
- Facility
- $166.67
- vs. 2025
- +155.1%
- Commercial national avg.
- $159.26
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Physician Fee Schedule·88173·National·2026, 2025
Current non-facility rate
$166.67▼35.3%
Facility: $166.67
Recent trend
Code description
Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report.
| Code | Date | State | Locality | Carrier | Non-Facility Fee | Facility Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88173 | 10/2026 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $166.67 | $166.67 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 10/2026 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $101.21 | $101.21 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 10/2026 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $65.47 | $65.47 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 7/2026 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $65.47 | $65.47 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 7/2026 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $166.67 | $166.67 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 7/2026 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $101.21 | $101.21 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 4/2026 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $101.21 | $101.21 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 4/2026 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $166.67 | $166.67 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 4/2026 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $65.47 | $65.47 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 1/2026 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $65.47 | $65.47 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 1/2026 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $101.21 | $101.21 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 1/2026 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $166.67 | $166.67 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 10/2025 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $65.34 | $65.34 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 10/2025 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $166.26 | $166.26 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 10/2025 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $100.92 | $100.92 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 7/2025 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $65.34 | $65.34 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 7/2025 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $166.26 | $166.26 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 7/2025 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $100.92 | $100.92 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 4/2025 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $166.26 | $166.26 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 4/2025 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $100.92 | $100.92 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 4/2025 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $65.34 | $65.34 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 1/2025 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $65.34 | $65.34 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 1/2025 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $100.92 | $100.92 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
| 88173 | 1/2025 | N/A | 00 | 00000 | $166.26 | $166.26 | Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report. |
88173 national rate by year
Each row is the latest CMS file published that year. Change is against the year before.
| CMS file | Non-facility | Facility | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $166.67 | $166.67 | +155.1% |
| October 2025 | $65.34 | $65.34 | -2.8% |
| March 2024 | $67.24 | $67.24 | -28.6% |
| January 2023 | $94.21 | $94.21 | +5.5% |
| July 2022 | $89.28 | $89.28 | - |
This is the national amount before geographic adjustment. Medicare multiplies each relative value unit by its locality's geographic practice cost index, so a practice's own allowed amount can be higher or lower; pick a state above to see its localities. The facility amount applies when the service is performed in a hospital or other facility setting.
88173: Medicare vs. commercial national average
The commercial national average for 88173, the mean of what BCBS, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna and Cigna publish nationwide, is $159.26, 96% of Medicare's $166.67.
- BCBS $176.84
- UnitedHealthcare $124.87
- Aetna $173.31
- Cigna $162.03
A national average, not a local rate: each payer's figure averages the unmodified, in-network professional rates it publishes for 88173 across the country in its transparency files. Contracted rates vary widely by market, provider and plan. Medicare's figure is its national non-facility amount before geographic adjustment.
Nearby codes
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Medicaid comparison
See what state Medicaid programs pay for 88173
50 state Medicaid agencies publish their own physician fee schedule. The 88173 page shows real published rates for several of them free, with effective dates and official sources.
17,674 codes and 974,327 published rates, taken from the files the state agencies publish themselves.
Related codes
88172Confirm Sample Quality, Immediate Exam By A Technician To Evaluate The Quality Of Cells Collected With A Hollow Needle. Good Quality Samples Are Sent To A Lab For Thorough Study Including Preparation Of A Written Interpretation And Report.
$21.0488177Pathology Test/Cell Study, Cytopathology Evaluation Of Fine Needle Aspirate; Immediate Cytohistologic Study To Determine Adequacy For Diagnosis Each Separate Additional Evaluation Episode Same Site (List Separately In Addition To Code For Primary Procedure)
$20.3888184Mark Finding In Cell Study, Flow Cytometry Examines Cells Within A Stream Of Fluid. The Technique Uses Light Emissions To Collect Information. This Is Useful In Detecting Specific Disease Characteristics.
$81.16Methodology
Rates are sourced directly from CMS Physician Fee Schedule files, indexed quarterly. Non-facility and facility prices are calculated using the published GPCI for each locality and the year's conversion factor.
View CMS Physician Fee Schedule