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CPT 38720 — Removal of lymph nodes neck

CPT code 38720 (Removal of lymph nodes neck) carries 21.4 work RVUs under the CMS 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Total RVUs are 35.78 in a non-facility setting and 35.78 in a facility setting, which at the 2026 conversion factor of $33.40 works out to $1,195.08 and $1,195.08 respectively.

21.4
Work RVU
35.78
Total RVU (non-facility)
$1,195.08
Medicare, non-facility
$1,195.08
Medicare, facility
Calculate your total wRVUs →

RVU breakdown for CPT 38720

ComponentRVUsWhat it covers
Work RVU21.4Physician time, skill, effort, and stress.
Practice expense RVU (non-facility)10.57Office overhead, staff, supplies.
Practice expense RVU (facility)0.0Overhead when performed in a hospital.
Malpractice RVU3.81Professional liability cost.
Total RVU (non-facility)35.78Work + non-facility PE + malpractice.
Total RVU (facility)35.78Work + facility PE + malpractice.

How Medicare payment is calculated

Medicare multiplies total RVUs by the annual conversion factor. For CPT 38720 in 2026:

SettingTotal RVUConversion factorNational payment
Non-facility35.78$33.40$1,195.08
Facility35.78$33.40$1,195.08

These are national amounts. Actual payment is adjusted by the Geographic Practice Cost Index for your locality — check yours with the GPCI lookup.

Billing rules for CPT 38720

Global period
90-day global — major surgery; 90 days of follow-up care included.
Multiple procedure reduction
Subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction (100%/50%/50%…).
Bilateral surgery
150% payment adjustment applies when performed bilaterally.
Assistant surgeon
Permitted.
Co-surgeon
Not permitted.
Team surgery
Not permitted unless documentation supports medical necessity.

Related codes

Codes in the same CMS family, with their work RVU values.

38724 · 23.35 wRVU38765 · 21.36 wRVU

Questions about CPT 38720

How many work RVUs is CPT 38720?

CPT 38720 is assigned 21.4 work RVUs in the CMS 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

What does Medicare pay for CPT 38720?

At the 2026 national conversion factor of $33.40, CPT 38720 pays approximately $1,195.08 in a non-facility setting and $1,195.08 in a facility setting before geographic adjustment.

What is the global period for CPT 38720?

90-day global — major surgery; 90 days of follow-up care included.

RVU values reflect the CMS 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (conversion factor $33.40). Payment figures are national and unadjusted for geography. Verify against the official fee schedule before using for billing.