CPT code 64738: Nerve neurectomy, jaw nerve2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $416.18 for 64738 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 64738 covers

This operation surgically interrupts or removes a nerve serving the jaw, rather than simply releasing pressure around it. It may be performed for selected cases of severe neuralgic pain involving the jaw when the surgeon’s plan is to treat the identified nerve. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons, neurosurgeons, or other surgeons experienced with nerve procedures may perform it in an operating room.

Select the code based on the nerve treated, not just the location where the patient feels pain. The operative report should identify the jaw nerve and describe the surgical work, indication, and laterality. The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 64738 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

64738 rates by state

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

How the 64738 rate is calculated

Each of 64738’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 64738

64738 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 50

64738 compared with similar codes

How to choose

64736Mental nerve surgeryChin sensory nerve

Use 64736 when the operative target is the chin nerve; use 64738 when the surgeon identifies the jaw nerve as the nerve treated.

64740Nerve neurotomyTongue nerve

Use 64740 for surgery on the tongue nerve. A jaw-pain presentation alone does not make that code appropriate.

64734Nerve transectionInfraorbital nerve

Use 64734 when the cheek nerve is treated; this code is for the jaw nerve.

Codes related to 64738

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