No office rate
Use 38700 for a limited suprahyoid nodal dissection. Code 38720 describes a comprehensive cervical dissection.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
38720 Neck node removal Medicare reimbursement rates in Nevada
Reports comprehensive removal of cervical lymph nodes for treatment or staging when the surgeon performs a complete neck dissection rather than a limited nodal procedure. Compare 38720 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Nevada.
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 38720 in Nevada?
Nevada 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
$1174.19
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Nevada**
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.
Lymphadenectomy
About 38720: Complete cervical lymphadenectomy
Reports comprehensive removal of cervical lymph nodes for treatment or staging when the surgeon performs a complete neck dissection rather than a limited nodal procedure.
This code represents a comprehensive operation to remove cervical lymph-node tissue from the neck, typically for treatment or staging of head and neck cancer. An otolaryngologist, head and neck surgeon, or surgical oncologist may perform it in an operating room. The operative report should establish the cervical site and describe the extent of the nodal dissection; a focused removal of a limited nodal group is not the same service.
Report the code for the complete cervical dissection documented, distinguishing it from a limited suprahyoid procedure and from the modified radical neck dissection represented by 38724. 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 the others at 50%. For bilateral performance, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 38720
- 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 RVU21.40 · 60%
- Practice expense (office) RVU10.57 · 30%
- Malpractice RVU3.81 · 11%
329
Medicare services in 2024 · #3924 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.
38720 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Nevada, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
Code 38724 is for a modified radical neck dissection. Match the code to the procedure and extent documented in the operative report.
No office rate
Code 38745 describes axillary, not cervical, lymph-node dissection. The operative site determines which code applies.
Compare 38720 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
Nevada** →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1174.19
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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 38720 in Nevada**.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
4,759
- Code
- 38720
- Physician work
- 21.40
- Practice expense
- 10.57
- Malpractice
- 3.81
GPCI2026.csv
73
- Locality
- Nevada**
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 1.001
- Malpractice
- 0.833
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 21.40 | × 1.000 | 21.4000 |
| Practice expense | 10.57 | × 1.001 | 10.5806 |
| Malpractice | 3.81 | × 0.833 | 3.1737 |
| Total RVUs | 35.1543 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Nevada**$1174.19
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 21.4 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 10.57 | 1.001 |
| Malpractice | 3.81 | 0.833 |
(21.4 × 1 + 10.57 × 1.001 + 3.81 × 0.833) × $33.4009 = $1174.19
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.
38720 billing questions
How does 38720 differ from 38700?
38720 represents a comprehensive cervical nodal dissection. Code 38700 is for a more limited dissection focused on the suprahyoid nodes.
How does 38720 differ from 38724?
Code 38724 identifies a modified radical neck dissection. Use the code that matches the documented operative procedure and extent, rather than selecting by diagnosis alone.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral neck dissection?
When the cervical procedure is performed bilaterally, CMS lists modifier 50 payment at 150%. The record should support the procedure on both sides.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; CMS does not permit team surgery.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and the other procedure or procedures at 50% under the standard multiple procedure reduction.
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.
4,75638573,,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
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
7005302,MO,99,REST OF MISSOURI,1.000,0.862,0.974
7103202,MT,01,MONTANA**,1.000,1.000,0.998
7205402,NE,00,NEBRASKA,1.000,0.923,0.378
7301312,NV,00,NEVADA**,1.000,1.001,0.833
7414312,NH,40,NEW HAMPSHIRE,1.000,1.041,0.875
7512402,NJ,01,NORTHERN NJ,1.063,1.160,1.068
7612402,NJ,99,REST OF NEW JERSEY,1.040,1.092,1.097