CPT code 38210: T-cell depletion, harvest processing2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 38210 covers

Code 38210 identifies processing of a harvested hematopoietic stem cell product to reduce its T-cell content. The processing targets T cells in the collected product; it is distinct from collecting stem cells. It also differs from processing directed at tumor cells, red blood cells, platelets, or product volume, and from concentrating harvested stem cells. Collection codes describe obtaining cells, while 38210 identifies a manipulation of the harvested product. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy codes describe diagnostic procedures, not this harvest-processing service.

Medicare assigns CPT 38210 status I, meaning the code is not valid for Medicare; Medicare uses a different code to report and pay for this service. For Medicare reporting, use the applicable code for the processing service rather than 38210.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

Where 38210 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

38210 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

How the 38210 rate is calculated

Each of 38210’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

Payment rules and modifiers for 38210

38210 has no global surgery period, no multiple-procedure, bilateral or assistant-at-surgery adjustment, and no professional/technical split. What changes the payment is where the service happens: the place of service on the claim decides whether Medicare pays the office or the facility rate.

38210 compared with similar codes

How to choose

38211Tumor-cell depletionStem cell harvest processing

Choose 38211 for tumor-cell depletion. Code 38210 concerns removing T cells from the harvested product.

38212RBC depletionStem-cell harvest

Code 38212 concerns red-cell depletion, not T-cell depletion.

38213Platelet depletionStem cell harvest processing

Code 38213 concerns platelet depletion. The distinction is the component removed from the harvest.

38205Stem cell collectionAllogeneic, blood-derived

Code 38205 describes allogeneic stem cell collection. Code 38210 describes processing a harvest to reduce T cells.

Codes related to 38210

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates