CPT code 38230: Marrow harvest, allogeneic donor2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports operative bone marrow collection from a donor for another person’s transplant, rather than collection of peripheral blood stem cells or autologous marrow.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 38230 in Missouri.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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What 38230 covers
CPT 38230 describes an operative collection of bone marrow from a donor for use in another person’s treatment, commonly hematopoietic cell transplantation. A physician, such as a transplant surgeon or hematologist, typically performs the harvest in a surgical setting. Marrow is collected through repeated aspiration from bone, commonly the pelvic bones, with the collection planned to supply the intended recipient’s transplant needs.
Choose this code when the collected marrow is allogeneic: the donor and recipient are different people. The operative report should identify the donor, collection site and method, and the allogeneic purpose; distinguish this procedure from peripheral blood stem cell collection and autologous marrow harvest. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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 38230 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | Unavailable | $171.27 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | Unavailable | $172.34 |
| Rest of Missouri | Unavailable | $168.42 |
How the 38230 rate is calculated
Each of 38230’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.
How the rate is built · 38230
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work3.41
3.41 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.08
1.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.72
0.72 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
5.2100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$174.02
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 38230
The CMS indicators that decide how 38230 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 38230
Marrow harvest, allogeneic donor
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
38230 without 51 · national facility
$174.02
Marrow harvest, allogeneic donor
38230-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$87.01
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
38230 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 38205Stem cell collectionAllogeneic, blood-derived
- Choose 38230 for marrow collected directly from bone; choose 38205 for allogeneic stem cells collected from peripheral blood.
- 38232Bone marrow harvestAutologous transplant harvest
- The distinction is who will receive the marrow: 38230 is for an allogeneic donor collection, while 38232 is for autologous collection.
- 38222Bone marrow examAspiration and biopsy
- Code 38222 describes diagnostic marrow aspiration and biopsy, not an operative harvest intended to provide marrow for transplantation.
38230 billing questions
How does 38230 differ from 38205?
38230 is for operative marrow collection from bone. Code 38205 is for allogeneic stem cell collection from peripheral blood.
When should 38232 be used instead?
Use 38232 for an operative marrow harvest when the collected marrow is autologous, meaning it is intended for the same patient. Code 38230 is for a donor providing marrow to another person.
Does 38230 include the transplant?
No. The code describes the donor’s marrow collection, not the recipient’s transplant procedure. The donor harvest and recipient transplant concern different patients.
Can modifier 50 be reported for bilateral collection?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, even when collection involves both sides.
What documentation supports reporting 38230?
Document that the collection was an operative bone marrow harvest, identify the collection site and method, and establish that the marrow was donated for another person’s treatment.
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.
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