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 in Kentucky
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 in Kentucky.
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 in Kentucky?
Kentucky 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
$639.91
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Kentucky
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.
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 rates for Kentucky, 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.
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.
1 of 1 payment localities
Kentucky →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$639.91
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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 38740 in Kentucky.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
4,761
- Code
- 38740
- Physician work
- 10.43
- Practice expense
- 7.06
- Malpractice
- 2.68
GPCI2026.csv
55
- Locality
- Kentucky
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.889
- Malpractice
- 0.915
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 10.43 | × 1.000 | 10.4300 |
| Practice expense | 7.06 | × 0.889 | 6.2763 |
| Malpractice | 2.68 | × 0.915 | 2.4522 |
| Total RVUs | 19.1585 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Kentucky$639.91
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 10.43 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 7.06 | 0.889 |
| Malpractice | 2.68 | 0.915 |
(10.43 × 1 + 7.06 × 0.889 + 2.68 × 0.915) × $33.4009 = $639.91
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.
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
5208102,IN,00,INDIANA,1.000,0.927,0.486
5305102,IA,00,IOWA,1.000,0.915,0.397
5405202,KS,00,KANSAS,1.000,0.904,0.504
5515102,KY,00,KENTUCKY,1.000,0.889,0.915
5607202,LA,01,NEW ORLEANS,1.000,0.941,1.136
5707202,LA,99,REST OF LOUISIANA,1.000,0.885,0.958
5814112,ME,03,SOUTHERN MAINE,1.000,0.991,0.631