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Removing Lymph Nodes Behind the Breastbone

California rates for HCPCS 38530

Removes or samples the lymph nodes lying just behind the breastbone, alongside the vessels that run down the inside of the front chest wall. They are reached through a small chest incision and examined under a microscope, usually to see whether a breast cancer has spread along that drainage route. It is done when those nodes matter to staging or to planning treatment.

Rates data updated July 2026.

How much does Removing Lymph Nodes Behind the Breastbone cost?

$5,888

Typical facility fee. In California, July 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $5,888 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $3,890 to $8,710.

These are rates insurers have negotiated with providers, not the amount a patient is billed. What you owe depends on your plan's deductible and coinsurance. Based on rates published by 9 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $5,888 · 10th to 90th $2,399 to $13,804Professionalmedian $661 · 10th to 90th $398 to $1,349
$100$500$2K$10Kfacility $5,888professional $661

Distribution of negotiated rates across all payers (price axis is log-scale). Each curve is scaled to its own total: facility and professional rates are different services, shown together to compare where they cluster. Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$2,344.23
Median
$6,456.54
Typical High
$18,197.01
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$3,548.13
Median
$5,888.44
Typical High
$13,489.63
Blue Shield
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$74.13
Median
$4,466.84
Typical High
$9,120.11
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$602.56
Median
$1,949.84
Typical High
$2,290.87
Contra Costa Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$295.12
Median
$446.68
Typical High
$812.83
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$501.19
Median
$660.69
Typical High
$1,380.38
Lucent Health
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$8,912.51
Median
$28,840.32
Typical High
$28,840.32
Providence
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$562.34
Median
$724.44
Typical High
$1,122.02
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$3,981.07
Median
$7,413.10
Typical High
$15,135.61

Where California sits

The same service costs 17.8 times more in Indiana than in North Dakota. Every bar is a state, most expensive first. Touch or drag across it to read any state, then open that state for its carriers and full range.

California· 11th of 50

$5,888

IN $10,000ND $562

Median negotiated rate in each state, from every insurer that publishes one. States where no insurer publishes a rate for this service are not shown.