Which CPT code is used for a surgical pathology examination of a specimen?

Which CPT code is used for a surgical pathology examination of a specimen?

• A. 88305
• B. 88320
• C. 88304
• D. 88322

Answer: (C)

In surgical pathology coding, the standard code for a routine examination of a single specimen, covering both the gross (macroscopic) description and the microscopic analysis, is 88304. This code represents the typical work a pathologist does for one tissue specimen: preparing the specimen, describing its features, examining slides, and issuing a pathology report. The other codes in this group are used when the work is more extensive (such as handling more than one specimen or performing additional stains or special techniques). So for a straightforward surgical pathology examination of one specimen, 88304 is the most appropriate choice.

In surgical pathology coding, the standard code for a routine examination of a single specimen, covering both the gross (macroscopic) description and the microscopic analysis, is 88304. This code represents the typical work a pathologist does for one tissue specimen: preparing the specimen, describing its features, examining slides, and issuing a pathology report. The other codes in this group are used when the work is more extensive (such as handling more than one specimen or performing additional stains or special techniques). So for a straightforward surgical pathology examination of one specimen, 88304 is the most appropriate choice.