Billing code 38562: Pelvic lymphadenectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports limited removal of pelvic lymph nodes for staging during an open oncologic operation when the nodal work is separately reportable.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 38562 in Washington.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
On this page 9 sections
What 38562 covers
This code describes limited removal of pelvic lymph nodes for cancer staging, rather than a comprehensive pelvic node dissection. It is typically performed by a gynecologic or urologic surgeon during an open operation for a pelvic malignancy. The removed nodes are submitted for pathologic examination to assess regional spread. The operative note should identify the pelvic nodal tissue removed and its staging purpose.
Report the code when the limited staging procedure is separately reportable, not when nodal removal is integral to a more extensive procedure. The documentation should support the pelvic site and limited extent of the dissection. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. The code is priced as bilateral, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
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.
Where 38562 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $668.83 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $727.16 |
How the 38562 rate is calculated
Each of 38562’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 38562
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work10.78
10.78 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.02
7.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.25
2.25 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
20.0500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$669.69
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 38562
38562 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 38562
Pelvic lymphadenectomy
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 2 | Already bilateral by definition: paid once at 100%. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.11/0.73/0.16 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 38562
Pelvic lymphadenectomy
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
38562 without 51 · national facility
$669.69
Pelvic lymphadenectomy
38562-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$334.85
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
38562 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 38564Node dissection
- Both codes describe limited lymphadenectomy for staging, but 38562 is for pelvic nodes and 38564 is for retroperitoneal, para-aortic nodes.
- 38570Laparoscopic node biopsy
- 38570 describes laparoscopic retroperitoneal node sampling; 38562 describes limited pelvic staging node removal in an open operation.
- 38571Pelvic lymphadenectomy
- 38571 is the laparoscopic code for bilateral total pelvic lymphadenectomy, not limited pelvic staging removal.
- 38572Laparoscopic lymphadenectomy
- 38572 describes a laparoscopic pelvic dissection with added para-aortic node sampling, rather than limited pelvic-only staging removal.
38562 billing questions
How does this differ from a complete pelvic lymph node dissection?
This code represents limited node removal for staging. Use a code describing a more extensive dissection when the documented procedure involves that greater extent.
Can it be reported with the primary cancer operation?
Only when the limited staging lymphadenectomy is separately reportable rather than integral to the more extensive operation. The operative report should make the distinct nodal work clear.
Should modifier 50 be added when nodes are removed on both sides?
No. CMS prices this code as bilateral, and modifier 50 does not increase payment.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days.
How are assistant and co-surgeon claims handled?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. 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 indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
Fee sheets
Put 38562 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →