Digital Pathology Codes - 2024 Update

The AMA has released details on 30 new category III digital pathology CPT® codes that went live on January 1, 2024. These codes represent additional clinical staff work and service requirements associated with digitizing glass microscope slides for primary diagnosis. Practices that are preparing the digitized slide images can now bill the add-on charge; typically, this service is associated with the TC component. However, some charges (such as, peripheral blood smear review, CPT 85060) do not have separate TC/PC component modifiers; in these cases, whoever prepares the digitized slide images or provides the digitization procedure may report the applicable add-on Category III code.

The new additions for 2024 include codes in cytology, consultations, FNAs, and more. Some carriers do pay on these charges even though Category III charges typically carry no fee. Please see below PDF for a listing of the codes.

Add-on codes are used in addition to a primary charge - The unit of service for each Category III add-on code is one-to-one with the primary CPT.  

*Code 88361 is not included as digital pathology preparation is intrinsically included in the code descriptor: Morphometric analysis, tumor immunohistochemistry (eg, Her-2/neu, estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor), quantitative or semiquantitative, per specimen, each single antibody stain procedure; using computer-assisted technology.

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