No office rate
This code represents complete axillary dissection; 38740 represents superficial axillary nodal dissection.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
38740 Axillary dissection Medicare reimbursement rates
Reports operative removal of superficial axillary lymph nodes as a regional dissection, such as during surgical treatment of breast or other malignancy. Compare 38740 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 38740?
The service location and office or facility setting determine which base rate applies. These are the supported base rates for the 109 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Where 38740 pays more and less
Surgical oncology
About 38740: Superficial axillary lymph node dissection
Reports operative removal of superficial axillary lymph nodes as a regional dissection, such as during surgical treatment of breast or other malignancy.
Code 38740 represents operative removal of superficial lymph nodes in the axilla as a regional dissection, rather than sampling one or a few targeted nodes. A breast surgeon or surgical oncologist commonly performs it in a hospital operating room during treatment of breast cancer or another malignancy involving the axillary basin. The operative report should identify the side and describe the nodal tissue and extent removed; sentinel-node excision alone is a different service.
Report 38740 when documentation supports superficial axillary lymphadenectomy; 38745 describes a complete axillary dissection, while 38525 is used for open excision of deep axillary nodes. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. For bilateral service, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 38740
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU10.43 · 52%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.06 · 35%
- Malpractice RVU2.68 · 13%
492
Medicare services in 2024 · #3581 by national volume
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.
38740 compared with similar codes
Office rate ranges across all CMS payment localities, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
Use 38525 for open excision of deep axillary node(s), such as targeted node sampling, rather than a superficial regional dissection.
No office rate
This partial mastectomy code includes axillary lymphadenectomy. Do not separately report 38740 for the same dissection included in that procedure.
See how rates vary across the country
38740 · Office / nonfacility · Non-QP. Choose a state to explore its payment localities. A range means the amount varies within that state.
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 all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | No published base rate | 1 |
| AL | No published base rate | 1 |
| AR | No published base rate | 1 |
| AZ | No published base rate | 1 |
| CA | No published base rate | 29 |
| CO | No published base rate | 1 |
| CT | No published base rate | 1 |
| DC | No published base rate | 1 |
| DE | No published base rate | 1 |
| FL | No published base rate | 3 |
| GA | No published base rate | 2 |
| GU | No published base rate | 1 |
| HI | No published base rate | 1 |
| IA | No published base rate | 1 |
| ID | No published base rate | 1 |
| IL | No published base rate | 4 |
| IN | No published base rate | 1 |
| KS | No published base rate | 1 |
| KY | No published base rate | 1 |
| LA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MD | No published base rate | 3 |
| ME | No published base rate | 2 |
| MI | No published base rate | 2 |
| MN | No published base rate | 1 |
| MO | No published base rate | 3 |
| MS | No published base rate | 1 |
| MT | No published base rate | 1 |
| NC | No published base rate | 1 |
| ND | No published base rate | 1 |
| NE | No published base rate | 1 |
| NH | No published base rate | 1 |
| NJ | No published base rate | 2 |
| NM | No published base rate | 1 |
| NV | No published base rate | 1 |
| NY | No published base rate | 5 |
| OH | No published base rate | 1 |
| OK | No published base rate | 1 |
| OR | No published base rate | 2 |
| PA | No published base rate | 2 |
| PR | No published base rate | 1 |
| RI | No published base rate | 1 |
| SC | No published base rate | 1 |
| SD | No published base rate | 1 |
| TN | No published base rate | 1 |
| TX | No published base rate | 8 |
| UT | No published base rate | 1 |
| VA | No published base rate | 2 |
| VI | No published base rate | 1 |
| VT | No published base rate | 1 |
| WA | No published base rate | 2 |
| WI | No published base rate | 1 |
| WV | No published base rate | 1 |
| WY | No published base rate | 1 |
Compare 38740 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
109 of 109 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Office Unavailable | Facility $605.37 |
| Alaska* | Office Unavailable | Facility $823.02 |
| Arizona | Office Unavailable | Facility $653.50 |
| Arkansas | Office Unavailable | Facility $597.03 |
| Atlanta | Office Unavailable | Facility $696.51 |
| Austin | Office Unavailable | Facility $677.87 |
| Bakersfield | Office Unavailable | Facility $667.95 |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | Office Unavailable | Facility $717.70 |
| Beaumont | Office Unavailable | Facility $646.12 |
| Brazoria | Office Unavailable | Facility $654.67 |
| Chicago | Office Unavailable | Facility $793.23 |
| Chico | Office Unavailable | Facility $660.72 |
| Colorado | Office Unavailable | Facility $673.36 |
| Connecticut | Office Unavailable | Facility $717.62 |
| Dallas | Office Unavailable | Facility $663.18 |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Office Unavailable | Facility $744.60 |
| Delaware | Office Unavailable | Facility $663.57 |
| Detroit | Office Unavailable | Facility $726.85 |
| East St. Louis | Office Unavailable | Facility $745.60 |
| El Centro | Office Unavailable | Facility $661.17 |
| Fort Lauderdale | Office Unavailable | Facility $749.09 |
| Fort Worth | Office Unavailable | Facility $661.98 |
| Fresno | Office Unavailable | Facility $660.72 |
| Galveston | Office Unavailable | Facility $659.44 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office Unavailable | Facility $660.72 |
| Hawaii, Guam | Office Unavailable | Facility $668.32 |
| Houston | Office Unavailable | Facility $708.49 |
| Idaho | Office Unavailable | Facility $607.66 |
| Indiana | Office Unavailable | Facility $610.47 |
| Iowa | Office Unavailable | Facility $599.68 |
| Kansas | Office Unavailable | Facility $606.66 |
| Kentucky | Office Unavailable | Facility $639.91 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $701.06 |
| Madera | Office Unavailable | Facility $660.72 |
| Manhattan | Office Unavailable | Facility $786.65 |
| Merced | Office Unavailable | Facility $660.72 |
| Metropolitan Boston | Office Unavailable | Facility $723.88 |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Office Unavailable | Facility $657.25 |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | Office Unavailable | Facility $706.91 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Office Unavailable | Facility $662.56 |
| Miami | Office Unavailable | Facility $820.23 |
| Minnesota | Office Unavailable | Facility $617.52 |
| Mississippi | Office Unavailable | Facility $617.56 |
| Modesto | Office Unavailable | Facility $660.72 |
| Montana** | Office Unavailable | Facility $673.52 |
| Napa | Office Unavailable | Facility $726.59 |
| Nebraska | Office Unavailable | Facility $599.86 |
| Nevada** | Office Unavailable | Facility $658.98 |
| New Hampshire | Office Unavailable | Facility $672.18 |
| New Mexico | Office Unavailable | Facility $672.12 |
| New Orleans | Office Unavailable | Facility $671.96 |
| North Carolina | Office Unavailable | Facility $625.58 |
| North Dakota** | Office Unavailable | Facility $620.52 |
| Northern Nj | Office Unavailable | Facility $739.46 |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | Office Unavailable | Facility $817.27 |
| Ohio | Office Unavailable | Facility $653.90 |
| Oklahoma | Office Unavailable | Facility $628.50 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office Unavailable | Facility $692.62 |
| Portland | Office Unavailable | Facility $682.53 |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | Office Unavailable | Facility $730.57 |
| Puerto Rico | Office Unavailable | Facility $674.95 |
| Queens | Office Unavailable | Facility $778.47 |
| Redding | Office Unavailable | Facility $660.72 |
| Rest Of California | Office Unavailable | Facility $660.72 |
| Rest Of Florida | Office Unavailable | Facility $708.35 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Office Unavailable | Facility $665.42 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Office Unavailable | Facility $703.58 |
| Rest Of Louisiana | Office Unavailable | Facility $642.82 |
| Rest Of Maine | Office Unavailable | Facility $620.99 |
| Rest Of Maryland | Office Unavailable | Facility $672.67 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Office Unavailable | Facility $673.60 |
| Rest Of Michigan | Office Unavailable | Facility $664.73 |
| Rest Of Missouri | Office Unavailable | Facility $638.83 |
| Rest Of New Jersey | Office Unavailable | Facility $718.01 |
| Rest Of New York | Office Unavailable | Facility $635.32 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Office Unavailable | Facility $646.17 |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | Office Unavailable | Facility $649.44 |
| Rest Of Texas | Office Unavailable | Facility $652.99 |
| Rest Of Washington | Office Unavailable | Facility $669.33 |
| Rhode Island | Office Unavailable | Facility $678.43 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office Unavailable | Facility $689.45 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office Unavailable | Facility $683.14 |
| Salinas | Office Unavailable | Facility $680.45 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office Unavailable | Facility $689.37 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $755.05 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $752.00 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $774.71 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $762.27 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office Unavailable | Facility $670.86 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office Unavailable | Facility $690.18 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office Unavailable | Facility $681.06 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office Unavailable | Facility $696.38 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $728.26 |
| South Carolina | Office Unavailable | Facility $642.35 |
| South Dakota** | Office Unavailable | Facility $614.26 |
| Southern Maine | Office Unavailable | Facility $638.54 |
| Stockton | Office Unavailable | Facility $660.72 |
| Suburban Chicago | Office Unavailable | Facility $751.61 |
| Tennessee | Office Unavailable | Facility $610.79 |
| Utah | Office Unavailable | Facility $650.42 |
| Vallejo | Office Unavailable | Facility $722.20 |
| Vermont | Office Unavailable | Facility $627.12 |
| Virgin Islands | Office Unavailable | Facility $674.95 |
| Virginia | Office Unavailable | Facility $643.37 |
| Visalia | Office Unavailable | Facility $660.72 |
| West Virginia | Office Unavailable | Facility $681.39 |
| Wisconsin | Office Unavailable | Facility $601.85 |
| Wyoming** | Office Unavailable | Facility $650.42 |
| Yuba City | Office Unavailable | Facility $660.72 |
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38740 billing questions
How do I distinguish 38740 from 38745?
Use 38740 for a superficial axillary nodal dissection. Use 38745 when the operative work is a complete axillary dissection.
Is sentinel-node biopsy reported with 38740?
An isolated targeted deep axillary node excision, such as sentinel-node sampling, is generally reported with 38525 rather than as a regional dissection under 38740.
Can 38740 be reported separately with a partial mastectomy?
Code 19302 describes partial mastectomy that includes axillary lymphadenectomy. Do not separately report 38740 for the same dissection included in that service.
How is bilateral axillary dissection handled?
For procedures on both axillae, CMS pays modifier 50 at 150%. The operative documentation should support work on each side.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
4,75838700,,Removal of lymph nodes neck,A,,12.49,6.84,NA,6.84,,1.93,21.26,21.26,0,090,0.11,0.73,0.16,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,75938720,,Removal of lymph nodes neck,A,,21.40,10.57,NA,10.57,,3.81,35.78,35.78,0,090,0.11,0.73,0.16,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,76038724,,Removal of lymph nodes neck,A,,23.35,10.76,NA,10.76,,3.69,37.80,37.80,0,090,0.11,0.73,0.16,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,76138740,,Remove armpit lymph nodes,A,,10.43,7.06,NA,7.06,,2.68,20.17,20.17,0,090,0.11,0.73,0.16,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,76238745,,Remove armpit lymph nodes,A,,13.52,8.22,NA,8.22,,3.41,25.15,25.15,0,090,0.11,0.73,0.16,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,76338746,,Remove thoracic lymph nodes,A,,4.02,0.81,NA,0.81,,1.02,5.85,5.85,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,76438747,,Remove abdominal lymph nodes,A,,4.76,1.22,NA,1.22,,1.19,7.17,7.17,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00