No office rate
Use 38571 for bilateral total pelvic lymphadenectomy without para-aortic sampling. Code 38573 includes para-aortic sampling and the specified grossly visible pelvic-node removal.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
38573 Laparoscopic lymphadenectomy Medicare reimbursement rates in Maine
Reports laparoscopic removal of grossly visible bilateral pelvic lymph nodes with para-aortic node sampling, commonly during surgical cancer staging. Compare 38573 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Maine.
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 38573 in Maine?
Maine has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$1004.49–$1026.24
2 of 2 localities have a 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.
Laparoscopic surgery
About 38573: Laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy with para-aortic sampling
Reports laparoscopic removal of grossly visible bilateral pelvic lymph nodes with para-aortic node sampling, commonly during surgical cancer staging.
A surgeon, often a gynecologic oncologist, performs this laparoscopic procedure to remove grossly visible lymph nodes from both sides of the pelvis, including external iliac, hypogastric, and obturator groups, while sampling para-aortic nodes. It is commonly part of operative staging for pelvic malignancies, such as endometrial or ovarian cancer, in a hospital operating room. The pelvic dissection and para-aortic sampling are part of the coded service rather than separate descriptions of the same work.
Report the code when the documented laparoscopic procedure includes the bilateral pelvic dissection and para-aortic sampling; document the approach, nodal regions addressed, and extent of removal. CMS assigns a 10-day global period, including related postoperative visits during that period. The service is priced as bilateral, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy family pricing applies. An assistant at surgery may be paid, and co-surgeons are permitted; team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 38573
- 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
- The code is already priced as bilateral; modifier 50 does not increase payment.
- 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 RVU19.50 · 60%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.64 · 27%
- Malpractice RVU4.22 · 13%
337
Medicare services in 2024 · #3896 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.
38573 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Maine, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
Both codes describe bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy with peri-aortic sampling. For 38573, the operative documentation must support the more specifically described removal of grossly visible pelvic nodes.
No office rate
Code 38570 is for laparoscopic retroperitoneal node sampling. It is not the choice for the bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy with para-aortic sampling represented by 38573.
Compare 38573 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Rest Of Maine →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1004.49
Southern Maine →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1026.24
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38573 billing questions
How does this differ from 38571?
Code 38571 describes bilateral total pelvic lymphadenectomy. Code 38573 also includes para-aortic node sampling and removal of grossly visible pelvic nodes.
When would 38572 be considered instead?
Code 38572 covers bilateral total pelvic lymphadenectomy with peri-aortic sampling. Select 38573 when the documented service includes the specified grossly visible pelvic-node removal along with para-aortic sampling.
Should modifier 50 be appended for the bilateral dissection?
CMS prices 38573 as bilateral, and modifier 50 does not increase payment.
Are postoperative visits separately reported during the global period?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure payment.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
CMS permits payment for an assistant at surgery and permits co-surgeons. Team surgery is not permitted.
What documentation supports reporting 38573?
Document the laparoscopic approach, bilateral pelvic nodal dissection and the pelvic regions treated, plus the para-aortic sampling. The operative report should support the extent represented by this code.
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.
4,75338570,,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
4,75738589,,Unlisted laps px lymphtc sys,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,YYY,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,2,1,1,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
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