FeeBase
Log inGet started
Menu

Billing code 38571: Pelvic lymphadenectomyMedicare rate & RVUs

Report this service for laparoscopic removal of pelvic lymph nodes on both sides, commonly performed for staging gynecologic malignancies.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities22.4K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $596.54 for 38571 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 38571

Pelvic lymphadenectomy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
11.7
Total RVUs
17.86
Global days
010

National rate · 2026

$596.54

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 38571 → · Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 38571 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 38571 covers

This service involves laparoscopic dissection and removal of pelvic lymphatic tissue on both sides, commonly including the external iliac, internal iliac, and obturator nodal regions. Gynecologic oncologists often perform it during operative staging for cancers such as endometrial or cervical cancer. It represents a bilateral lymphadenectomy, not simply sampling one or more nodes for biopsy.

Report the code when the operative note supports a laparoscopic bilateral pelvic nodal dissection; document the approach, nodal regions addressed, and tissue removed. The code is already priced as bilateral, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. When related endoscopies are performed together, CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies. CMS allows assistant-at-surgery payment and co-surgeons, but not team surgery.

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 38571 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

38571 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$553.59
Alaska*Unavailable$776.64
ArizonaUnavailable$583.86
ArkansasUnavailable$548.34
AtlantaUnavailable$611.32
AustinUnavailable$599.66
BakersfieldUnavailable$596.55
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$626.96
BeaumontUnavailable$579.08
BrazoriaUnavailable$586.05

38571 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
38571 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 38571 rate is calculated

Each of 38571’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 · 38571

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 11.70Practice expense 4.49Malpractice 1.67

17.8600 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$596.54

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 38571

38571 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 38571

Pelvic lymphadenectomy

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period010Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 days after are included.
Multiple procedures3Endoscopy family rules apply.
Bilateral (modifier 50)2Already bilateral by definition: paid once at 100%.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)2Permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.80/0.10Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 38571

Pelvic lymphadenectomy

10-day global period ends

Oct 11, 2026

Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.

SurgeryVisit
Sep 28, 2026Oct 14, 2026

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

38571 without 51 · national facility

$596.54

Pelvic lymphadenectomy

38571-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$298.27

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%).

When to use modifier 51

38571 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

38571 vs 38570 vs 38572 vs 38573: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 38571
    Pelvic lymphadenectomy · 11.7 wRVU
    —
  • 38570
    Laparoscopic node biopsy · 8.28 wRVU
    —
  • 38572
    Laparoscopic lymphadenectomy · 15.21 wRVU
    —
  • 38573
    Laparoscopic lymphadenectomy · 19.5 wRVU
    —

How to choose

38570Laparoscopic node biopsy
Choose 38570 for laparoscopic retroperitoneal node sampling or biopsy. Choose 38571 when the procedure is a bilateral total pelvic lymphadenectomy.
38572Laparoscopic lymphadenectomy
38572 includes peri-aortic node sampling in addition to the bilateral total pelvic dissection represented by 38571.
38573Laparoscopic lymphadenectomy
38573 describes bilateral total pelvic lymphadenectomy with peri-aortic lymphadenectomy, a more extensive service than pelvic dissection alone.

Codes related to 38571

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

Codes related to 38571
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
38570Laparoscopic node biopsyLaparoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node sampling or biopsy, rather than total bilateral pelvic dissection.No office rate
38572Laparoscopic lymphadenectomyAdds peri-aortic lymph node sampling to bilateral total pelvic lymphadenectomy.No office rate
38573Laparoscopic lymphadenectomyCombines bilateral total pelvic and peri-aortic lymphadenectomy.No office rate

38571 billing questions

How is this different from 38570?

38571 represents bilateral total pelvic lymphadenectomy. Code 38570 is for laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node sampling or biopsy, rather than a total bilateral pelvic dissection.

Should modifier 50 be appended?

No. The code is already priced as bilateral, and modifier 50 does not increase payment.

Does the code include postoperative visits?

Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included.

How does 38572 differ?

38572 includes bilateral total pelvic lymphadenectomy with additional peri-aortic lymph node sampling. Use 38571 when the documented procedure is limited to the bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

CMS permits assistant-at-surgery payment and co-surgeons for this code. Team surgery is not permitted.

What documentation supports reporting this code?

The operative report should identify the laparoscopic approach, bilateral pelvic dissection, and the nodal tissue removed. A limited node biopsy or sampling alone points to a different service.

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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 38571PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,754 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

Did this answer your question about what 38571 pays?

Tell us what you were actually trying to work out. We’ll answer you directly, or build the page that does.

Fee sheets

Put 38571 and the rest of your codes on one sheet

Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.

Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →