No office rate
38570 describes retroperitoneal node sampling. Use 38571 when the operation is a bilateral total pelvic lymphadenectomy.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
38570 Laparoscopic node biopsy Medicare reimbursement rates in Idaho
Report this service for laparoscopic biopsy sampling of one or more retroperitoneal lymph nodes, rather than a formal lymphadenectomy. Compare 38570 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Idaho.
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 38570 in Idaho?
Idaho 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
No supported rate
Facility setting
$438.48
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Idaho
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 surgery
About 38570: Laparoscopic retroperitoneal node sampling
Report this service for laparoscopic biopsy sampling of one or more retroperitoneal lymph nodes, rather than a formal lymphadenectomy.
A surgeon uses a laparoscope to locate and sample retroperitoneal lymph nodes for tissue examination. The code covers sampling of a single node or multiple nodes; it is commonly encountered in operative staging when nodal tissue is needed without a more extensive lymph-node dissection. Gynecologic, urologic, and general surgeons may perform the procedure in an operating room, usually in a facility setting.
Report the code when the operative note documents the laparoscopic approach and retroperitoneal node sampling, including the sampled sites and specimens. The 10-day global period includes related postoperative visits during that period. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy-family pricing applies. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for bilateral sampling under this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment and co-surgeon billing are permitted; team-surgery billing is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 38570
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 10-day global period: related postoperative visits for 10 days are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Endoscopy family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU8.28 · 58%
- Practice expense (office) RVU4.38 · 30%
- Malpractice RVU1.73 · 12%
10.4K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1449 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.
38570 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Idaho, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
38572 describes bilateral total pelvic lymphadenectomy with peri-aortic node sampling; 38570 is for retroperitoneal sampling without that broader pelvic dissection.
No office rate
38573 is for bilateral total pelvic and peri-aortic lymphadenectomy. 38570 describes sampling rather than that extent of nodal dissection.
$158.32
38505 is for needle biopsy of a lymph node. Use 38570 when the surgeon samples retroperitoneal nodes laparoscopically.
Compare 38570 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
Idaho →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$438.48
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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 38570 in Idaho.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
4,753
- Code
- 38570
- Physician work
- 8.28
- Practice expense
- 4.38
- Malpractice
- 1.73
GPCI2026.csv
47
- Locality
- Idaho
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.920
- Malpractice
- 0.473
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 8.28 | × 1.000 | 8.2800 |
| Practice expense | 4.38 | × 0.920 | 4.0296 |
| Malpractice | 1.73 | × 0.473 | 0.8183 |
| Total RVUs | 13.1279 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Idaho$438.48
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 8.28 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 4.38 | 0.92 |
| Malpractice | 1.73 | 0.473 |
(8.28 × 1 + 4.38 × 0.92 + 1.73 × 0.473) × $33.4009 = $438.48
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.
38570 billing questions
When should 38570 be chosen instead of a laparoscopic lymphadenectomy code?
Use 38570 for retroperitoneal node sampling, whether one or multiple nodes are sampled. Choose a lymphadenectomy code when the documented procedure is the more extensive nodal dissection described by that code.
Can multiple sampled nodes be reported as multiple units?
No. The code covers sampling of a single node or multiple nodes; the number of specimens does not create additional units of 38570.
Should modifier 50 be appended for bilateral sampling?
No. Bilateral adjustment is inappropriate for this code, so do not use modifier 50 for bilateral sampling.
How are related endoscopic procedures priced when performed together?
Endoscopy-family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together. The operative documentation should identify the procedures performed during the session.
What postoperative care is included?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure's global 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 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.
4,75038555,,Removal neck/armpit lesion,A,,15.20,10.18,NA,10.18,,4.06,29.44,29.44,0,090,0.11,0.73,0.16,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,75138562,,Removal pelvic lymph nodes,A,,10.78,7.02,NA,7.02,,2.25,20.05,20.05,0,090,0.11,0.73,0.16,2,2,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,75238564,,Removal abdomen lymph nodes,A,,11.10,6.26,NA,6.26,,2.47,19.83,19.83,0,090,0.11,0.73,0.16,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,75338570,,Laparoscopy lymph node biop,A,,8.28,4.38,NA,4.38,,1.73,14.39,14.39,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,3,0,2,2,0,9,49320,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,75438571,,Laparoscopy lymphadenectomy,A,,11.70,4.49,NA,4.49,,1.67,17.86,17.86,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,3,2,2,2,0,9,49320,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,75538572,,Laparoscopy lymphadenectomy,A,,15.21,6.59,NA,6.59,,2.92,24.72,24.72,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,3,2,2,2,0,9,49320,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,75638573,,Laps pelvic lymphadec,A,,19.50,8.64,NA,8.64,,4.22,32.36,32.36,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,3,2,2,2,0,9,49320,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
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
5006102,IL,15,SUBURBAN CHICAGO,1.007,1.027,1.772