Billing code 41135: Tongue and neck surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports partial removal of the tongue performed with a radical neck dissection on one side, commonly for treatment of oral tongue cancer.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 41135 in Alaska.
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 9 sections
What 41135 covers
This service combines removal of part of the tongue with a radical neck dissection on one side. It is typically performed by a head and neck surgeon or otolaryngologist in a hospital operating room for a patient whose oral tongue cancer requires both procedures. The operative record should make clear the extent of tongue resection and that a unilateral radical, rather than a more limited, neck dissection was performed.
Report the combined code when both components are performed; do not separately report the included neck dissection as though it were a standalone service. The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the following 90 days. If other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and additional procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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.
41135 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $2,393.64 |
How the 41135 rate is calculated
Each of 41135’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 · 41135
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work29.39
29.39 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense23.64
23.64 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice4.36
4.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
57.3900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,916.88
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 41135
41135 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 41135
Tongue and neck surgery
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.09/0.81/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 41135
Tongue and neck surgery
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
41135 without 51 · national facility
$1,916.88
Tongue and neck surgery
41135-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$958.44
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%).
41135 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 41120Partial glossectomy
- 41120 is for tongue removal involving less than half the tongue without the unilateral radical neck dissection bundled into 41135.
- 41130Tongue resection
- 41130 describes hemiglossectomy without the unilateral radical neck dissection included in 41135.
- 41145Total glossectomy
- 41145 combines unilateral radical neck dissection with complete or total glossectomy; 41135 is for partial glossectomy.
- 41153Floor-of-mouth resection
- 41153 includes resection of the floor of the mouth with partial glossectomy and unilateral radical neck dissection. Choose it when that composite floor-of-mouth resection is performed.
41135 billing questions
When should this be chosen over 41120 or 41130?
Use 41135 when partial tongue removal is performed together with a unilateral radical neck dissection. Codes 41120 and 41130 describe tongue resections without that included neck procedure.
Can the neck dissection be billed separately?
The unilateral radical neck dissection is part of this combined service. Do not separately report it as a standalone neck dissection for the same operative work.
Is modifier 50 appropriate?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inapplicable to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What documentation supports reporting 41135?
The operative report should describe the partial tongue resection and identify the unilateral radical neck dissection performed. It should distinguish that extent of neck surgery from a more limited dissection.
How does the global period affect postoperative visits?
The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days after surgery.
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 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
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