Consultations & Second Opinions

The request for second opinion can be addressed to the Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Pathology Consult Service, 55 Fruit Street-WRN 219, Boston, MA   02114.

Download our Pathology Consult request form.

If You Are a Mass General Physician

If the patient is being seen by a Massachusetts General Hospital physician, please include the following:

• Pathology Consult Request Form in Epic. Only the top section needs to be completed.
• Glass slides, either stained or unstained and Paraffin blocks may be submitted for second opinion or special studies if required for accurate diagnosis.
• A copy of the referring pathologist's final report or at least a working draft. If the case has been previously seen by other consultants, copies of those reports should also be included.
• Package must be addressed to "Mass General Pathology Consult Service"

If You Are a Physician at Another Institution

If you are a physician at an institution other than Mass General and you would like a consultative review of pathology performed and diagnosed at your institution, please include the following:

• Pathology Consult Request Form. The entire form must be completed
• Glass slides, either stained or unstained and Paraffin blocks may be submitted for special studies if required for accurate diagnosis
• A copy of the referring pathologist's final report or at least a working draft. If the case has been previously seen by other consultants, copies of those reports should also be included
• A letter from the referring physician or pathologist which identifies the patient by name, give a brief clinical history, identifies the slides and/or blocks by accession number, and identifies the tissue source for each accession number
• Additional studies, including laboratory data, radiology studies, etc., should be submitted if essential for accurate diagnosis

If You Are a Patient

In most cases, insurance companies will pay for a second opinion; however, it is important to discuss with your insurance provider whether you will have to pay some or all of the cost of the second opinion.

For a patient who is requesting a pathology consult self-pay within the U.S., they will be required to:

• Register with the Registration Referral Center at 1-866-211-6588
• Complete the Pathology Consult Request Form. The entire form must be completed and signed by the patient
• Provide the name of their primary care doctor or specialist who is treating them along with their address and fax number
• A copy of the report will be sent to the referring MD (PCP or specialist)
• A copy will also be sent to the originating facility of the slides
• The patient will not receive a copy of the report. They will obtain the results from their physician

 

For a patient who is requesting an International pathology consult self-pay, they will be required to:

• Complete the Pathology Consult Request Form. The entire form must be completed and signed by the patient
• Contact Mass General IPC (617-726-2787) who will register the patient and set up billing information
• Provide the name of their primary care doctor or specialist who is treating them along with their address and fax number
• A copy of the report will be sent to the referring MD (PCP or specialist)
• A copy will also be sent to the originating facility of the slides
• The patient will not receive a copy of the report. They will obtain the results from their physician
  • We do not accept patients who want to bypass primary care physician and/or specialist
  • We do not accept patient self pay on consults received from South Carolina
  • The patient will be registered through the hospital with a MRN # and a CSN #

Billing Fee for All Self Pay Patients: Request a cost estimate for your healthcare services - Mass General Brigham Billing Solutions 617-726-3884, CPT code 88321 or 88323

• Hospital will send an invoice to the patient

 How to Send Materials

All materials sent by either standard or express mail must be protected from damage by using proper packaging

• It is recommended that glass slides be enclosed in plastic slide boxes (available in most laboratories) which hold up to five slides each
• Excess space in the box under the lid should be filled with cotton gauze or tissue paper, to avoid breakage due to shaking
• The lid of the box should be taped closed
• Slide boxes should be surrounded by the relevant pathology reports and/or referral letter), enclosed in a rigid mailing container (either a cardboard box or rigid screw-cap mailing tube), and the space around the materials filled with padding (gauze, paper, or Styrofoam)
• It is suggested that all materials related to the case be shipped in the same container, so that they are received together

The envelope, box or cylinder should be tightly closed and sealed with tape. The mailing label should include a return address as well as the name of the referring clinician or pathologist, and addressed to:

Massachusetts General Hospital

Department of Pathology Consult Service

Warren Building – Room 219

55 Fruit Street

Boston, MA 02114

Material sent by express mail or from outside the U.S. usually requires identification of the contents. A sample label might read:

• Glass slides of Human Tissue for Diagnosis
• Non-Infectious
• Non-Hazardous
• No Commercial Value

All original materials will be returned to the referring site on completion of our studies. We will retain any additional slides that we have prepared in our laboratories. A copy of our diagnosis will be sent to the referring physician.