CPT code 38700 denotes surgical excision of lymph nodes superior to the hyoid bone, a targeted lymphadenectomy for disease processes—most often neoplastic—in the upper midline neck. Nationally, this code captures procedures that can be diagnostic or therapeutic in cancer care pathways and may require more extensive dissection when metastasis involves adjacent jaw or upper neck tissues. Its use affects surgical case mix, hospital and ambulatory surgical center resource planning, and payment patterns for head and neck oncology.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find context on clinical indications and typical sites of service, comparative payment and utilization benchmarks where available, and operational considerations for coding and claims submission. The publication also summarizes recent policy updates or coding guidance that influence how this procedure is documented and billed. Clinicians, billing professionals, and policy analysts will gain a concise reference for the clinical scope of the code, common encounter settings, and the implications for payer reimbursement and case documentation.

Data not available in the input for specific associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, related codes, or payer-specific rates.