CPT code 41120: Partial glossectomy, less than half tongue2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $977.64 for 41120 nationally in a facility.

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

What 41120 covers

An otolaryngologist, head and neck surgeon, or oral and maxillofacial surgeon may remove a portion of the tongue to treat a tumor or other condition requiring partial glossectomy. The operation is commonly performed in a hospital operating room, often under general anesthesia. For an oral tongue cancer, the surgeon removes the affected portion as part of definitive treatment; this is more extensive than simply sampling or locally excising a small lesion.

Select this code when the operative report supports removal of less than half the tongue. Document the condition treated, the site and extent of resection, and the operative work so the scope can be distinguished from a hemiglossectomy or a limited lesion excision. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 41120 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

41120 rates by state

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

How the 41120 rate is calculated

Each of 41120’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 41120

41120 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

41120 compared with similar codes

How to choose

41130Tongue resectionHemiglossectomy

41120 is for removal of less than half the tongue; 41130 is for a hemiglossectomy.

41110Tongue lesion excisionWithout closure

41110 reports excision of a tongue lesion without closure. Choose 41120 when the documented operation is a partial glossectomy involving less than half the tongue.

41112Tongue excisionAnterior two-thirds, with closure

41112 reports tongue lesion excision with closure. 41120 represents a broader partial tongue resection, not just a localized lesion excision.

41140Total glossectomyUnilateral radical neck dissection

41140 describes total glossectomy; 41120 is limited to removal of less than half the tongue.

Codes related to 41120

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