No office rate
38790 is an injection for lymphatic imaging, while 38792 injects radioactive tracer specifically to locate sentinel nodes.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
38792 Sentinel node injection Medicare reimbursement rates in Hawaii
Reports radioactive tracer injection to localize sentinel lymph nodes, commonly before breast cancer or melanoma surgery and subsequent node removal. Compare 38792 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Hawaii.
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 38792 in Hawaii?
Hawaii has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$89.24
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Hawaii, Guam
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$26.95
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Hawaii, Guam
One mapped payment locality.
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.
Lymphatic mapping
About 38792: Radioactive tracer injection for sentinel node
Reports radioactive tracer injection to localize sentinel lymph nodes, commonly before breast cancer or melanoma surgery and subsequent node removal.
This service is the injection of radioactive tracer to help locate sentinel lymph nodes that drain a tumor site. It is commonly used in breast cancer and melanoma care before sentinel node biopsy or excision. A nuclear medicine or radiology clinician, or the surgeon, may perform the injection in a facility or office setting. The injection is distinct from imaging that follows it and from surgical removal of the node.
Report 38792 when the documented service is the radioactive tracer injection for sentinel node localization. The record should identify the injection site, laterality, tracer, and clinical purpose; report a separately performed node biopsy or imaging service with its applicable code. This is a minor procedure with a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 applies to bilateral performance and is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 38792
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is 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
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.63 · 26%
- Practice expense (office) RVU1.76 · 72%
- Malpractice RVU0.07 · 3%
24.6K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1055 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.
38792 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Hawaii, from the same CMS release.
$346.92
78195 reports lymphatic and node imaging; 38792 reports the radioactive tracer injection, not the imaging.
$142.66
38900 reports intraoperative sentinel node mapping with nonradioactive dye when performed. 38792 is for radioactive tracer injection.
No office rate
38525 reports open removal of deep axillary nodes; 38792 reports tracer injection for localization, not node removal.
Compare 38792 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.
1 of 1 payment localities
Hawaii, Guam →
Office / nonfacility
$89.24
Facility
$26.95
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 38792 in Hawaii, Guam.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
4,770
- Code
- 38792
- Physician work
- 0.63
- Practice expense
- 1.76
- Malpractice
- 0.07
GPCI2026.csv
46
- Locality
- Hawaii, Guam
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 1.137
- Malpractice
- 0.579
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.63 | × 1.000 | 0.6300 |
| Practice expense | 1.76 | × 1.137 | 2.0011 |
| Malpractice | 0.07 | × 0.579 | 0.0405 |
| Total RVUs | 2.6717 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Hawaii, Guam$89.24
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.63 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 1.76 | 1.137 |
| Malpractice | 0.07 | 0.579 |
(0.63 × 1 + 1.76 × 1.137 + 0.07 × 0.579) × $33.4009 = $89.24
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.63 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 0.12 | 1.137 |
| Malpractice | 0.07 | 0.579 |
(0.63 × 1 + 0.12 × 1.137 + 0.07 × 0.579) × $33.4009 = $26.95
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
38792 billing questions
How is 38792 different from sentinel node removal?
38792 reports the radioactive tracer injection used to locate the node. Report the appropriate biopsy or excision code separately when the surgeon removes a node.
Does this code report lymphoscintigraphy imaging?
No. It reports the injection procedure; lymphatic and node imaging is a separate service, such as 78195 when performed and supported.
Can 38792 be reported with nonradioactive sentinel node mapping?
It may be reported with 38900 when both radioactive tracer injection and the separately documented nonradioactive intraoperative mapping technique are performed.
When is modifier 50 appropriate?
Use modifier 50 when the injection service is performed bilaterally. CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
What documentation supports reporting 38792?
Document the tracer injection, injection site and side, and its purpose in localizing sentinel nodes. Identify any separately performed imaging or node excision in the record.
How does the 0-day global period affect same-day care?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the procedure's 0-day global period.
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.
4,76738770,,Remove pelvis lymph nodes,A,,13.71,6.11,NA,6.11,,2.31,22.13,22.13,0,090,0.11,0.73,0.16,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,76838780,,Remove abdomen lymph nodes,A,,17.26,8.48,NA,8.48,,3.57,29.31,29.31,0,090,0.11,0.73,0.16,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,76938790,,Inject for lymphatic x-ray,A,,1.26,0.81,NA,0.81,,0.20,2.27,2.27,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,77038792,,Ra tracer id of sentinl node,A,,0.63,1.76,,0.12,,0.07,2.46,0.82,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,77138794,,Access thoracic lymph duct,A,,4.50,2.71,NA,2.71,,0.53,7.74,7.74,0,090,0.11,0.73,0.16,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,77238900,,Io map of sent lymph node,A,,2.44,1.31,,0.65,,0.59,4.34,3.68,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,77338999,,Unlistd px hemic/lymphtc sys,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,YYY,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,0,1,1,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4309102,FL,99,REST OF FLORIDA,1.000,0.956,1.503
4410212,GA,01,ATLANTA,1.003,1.016,1.201
4510212,GA,99,REST OF GEORGIA,1.000,0.892,1.192
4601212,HI,01,"HAWAII, GUAM",1.000,1.137,0.579
4702202,ID,00,IDAHO,1.000,0.920,0.473
4806102,IL,16,CHICAGO,1.007,1.005,2.295
4906102,IL,12,EAST ST. LOUIS,1.000,0.920,2.014