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CPT code 26025: Palm bursa drainage, single bursa2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports operative drainage of a collection involving one palmar bursa, with the affected structure and single-bursa extent documented in the operative record.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities261 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $404.48 for 26025 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 26025

Palm bursa drainage, single bursa

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
4.95
Total RVUs
12.11
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$404.48

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 26025 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 26025 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 26025 covers

This code describes an operation to open and drain a collection involving one bursa in the palm. A hand or orthopedic surgeon typically performs the procedure in an operating room for a localized palmar bursal infection or abscess. The operative record should identify the affected bursa and describe the drainage performed; drainage of multiple palmar bursae belongs to a different code in this family.

Select the code based on the involved anatomy and number of bursae treated, distinguishing a palmar bursa from a finger abscess or flexor tendon sheath infection. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 26025 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

26025 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$364.37
AlaskaUnavailable$485.70
ArizonaUnavailable$393.33
ArkansasUnavailable$359.39
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$414.92
Austin, TXUnavailable$413.00
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$414.48
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$430.01
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$383.59
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$396.68

26025 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

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Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
26025 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 26025 rate is calculated

Each of 26025’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 · 26025

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work4.95

4.95 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense6.17

6.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.99

0.99 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

12.1100

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$404.48

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 26025

26025 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 26025

Palm bursa drainage, single bursa

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.69/0.21Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 26025

Palm bursa drainage, single bursa

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

26025 without 50 · national facility

$404.48

Palm bursa drainage, single bursa

26025-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$606.72

Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).

When to use modifier 50

26025 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 26025

    Palm bursa drainage, single bursa4.95 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26030

    Palm bursa drainage, complicated drainage6.09 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26020

    Tendon sheath drainage, hand, infectious tenosynovitis6.67 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26010

    Abscess drainage, finger, simple1.55 wRVU

    $375.09

How to choose

26030Palm bursa drainageComplicated drainage
This code is for one palmar bursa; 26030 is selected when multiple palmar bursae are drained.
26020Tendon sheath drainageHand, infectious tenosynovitis
Use 26020 when the collection is in a hand tendon sheath. This code applies when the drained structure is a palmar bursa.
26010Abscess drainageFinger, simple
26010 describes drainage of a finger abscess. This code is for a collection involving a palmar bursa.

Codes related to 26025

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 26025
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
26030Palm bursa drainage, complicated drainageFor drainage involving multiple palmar bursae rather than one.No office rate
Used instead
26020Tendon sheath drainage, hand, infectious tenosynovitisFor drainage of a hand tendon sheath rather than a palmar bursa.No office rate
26010Abscess drainage, finger, simpleFor drainage of a finger abscess rather than a palmar bursal collection.$326.29–$515.22

26025 billing questions

How is this code distinguished from drainage of multiple palmar bursae?

Use this code when the operation drains one palmar bursa. Report the multiple-bursa family code when more than one palmar bursa is drained.

How does this differ from drainage of a flexor tendon sheath?

Choose based on the structure drained: this code is for a palmar bursa, while 26020 is for a hand tendon sheath.

What documentation supports the single-bursa selection?

Document the collection's palmar bursal location and identify the single bursa opened and drained. The operative note should make the treated anatomy clear.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%.

Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral drainage?

CMS lists this as a bilateral procedure; reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.

When is an assistant at surgery payable?

Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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
RVUs for 26025PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,530 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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