88344 Imhchem/imcytchm ea mlt antb
What 88344 is
CMS fee schedule short descriptor: Imhchem/imcytchm ea mlt antb.
Full CPT long descriptions are licensed by the American Medical Association and are not published on this site; the short descriptor above is the one CMS prints in its own fee schedule file. See About CPT.
Medicare payment for 88344 (CY2026)
| Work RVU | Practice expense RVU | Malpractice RVU | Total | Medicare rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-facility (office) | 0.75 | 4.42 | 0.02 | 5.19 | $173.35 |
| Facility (hospital, ASC) | 0.75 | 4.42 | 0.02 | 5.19 | $173.35 |
National rates: total RVUs x the CY2026 conversion factor of 33.4009 (non-QP), before geographic adjustment. Actual Medicare payment is 80% of the rate shown after the deductible; the patient or secondary payer owes the 20% coinsurance.
Status: Active - payable under the Physician Fee Schedule. Global period: Global concept does not apply.
Medically Unlikely Edit (MUE)
Medicare caps 88344 at 6 units per date of service for practitioner claims (MAI 3 - date of service edit (clinical): units above the MUE may pay with documentation on appeal), rationale: Clinical: Data. Units above the cap are denied unless the edit's adjudication rules allow an appeal with documentation.
Billed with 88344? These codes are bundled into it
88344 is a Column 1 code in 3 active NCCI PTP edits. When one of these Column 2 codes is reported on the same date of service, it is denied as bundled - unless the edit's modifier indicator is 1 and documentation supports a distinct service with an NCCI-associated modifier.
| Column 2 code | Short description | Modifier indicator | |
|---|---|---|---|
88342 | Imhchem/imcytchm 1st antb | 1 - modifier may bypass | Check pair |
88358 | Analysis tumor | 1 - modifier may bypass | Check pair |
96523 | Irrig drug delivery device | 0 - no modifier bypass | Check pair |
88344 is bundled into these codes
88344 appears as a Column 2 code in 18 active edits. Reported with one of these Column 1 codes on the same date of service, 88344 is the code that denies.
| Column 1 code | Short description | Modifier indicator | |
|---|---|---|---|
0018M | 1 | Check pair | |
0067U | 1 | Check pair | |
0295U | 1 | Check pair | |
0404U | 1 | Check pair | |
0418U | 1 | Check pair | |
17311 | Mohs 1 stage h/n/hf/g | 1 | Check pair |
17313 | Mohs 1 stage t/a/l | 1 | Check pair |
81560 | Trnsplj pd lvr&bwl cd154+cll | 1 | Check pair |
86152 | Cell enumeration & id | 1 | Check pair |
88184 | Flowcytometry/ tc 1 marker | 1 | Check pair |
88187 | Flowcytometry/read 2-8 | 1 | Check pair |
88188 | Flowcytometry/read 9-15 | 1 | Check pair |
88189 | Flowcytometry/read 16 & > | 1 | Check pair |
88321 | Consltj&reprt sld prep elswr | 1 | Check pair |
88323 | Consltj&reprt matrl prep sld | 1 | Check pair |
Data: CMS CY2026 Physician Fee Schedule RVU file (October release, RVU26D) and Medicare NCCI PTP practitioner edits v32.3 (2026 Q4). Verify against the official files before billing or contracting decisions.