CPT code 26117: Hand tumor resection, tumor under 3 cm2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports radical removal of a soft-tissue tumor in the hand or finger when the tumor measures less than 3 cm and the operative extent supports radical resection.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26117 in Missouri.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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What 26117 covers
A hand surgeon or other qualified surgeon removes a small soft-tissue tumor from the hand or finger using a radical resection approach, taking the tumor and surrounding tissue as indicated by the operative plan. This is an operative service, commonly performed in a hospital or ambulatory surgery center when the tumor’s location or extent calls for surgical treatment. The tumor’s size alone does not establish this code; the documented extent of resection must support the radical procedure rather than a conventional local excision.
Report this code when the resected tumor is under 3 cm and the operative report supports radical resection. Document the tumor’s measured size, site, involved tissue, extent of removal, and relevant margin or specimen details. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this descriptor and anatomy. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting 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 26117 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | Unavailable | $674.69 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | Unavailable | $680.22 |
| Rest of Missouri | Unavailable | $651.52 |
How the 26117 rate is calculated
Each of 26117’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 · 26117
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work9.88
9.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.93
8.93 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.98
1.98 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
20.7900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$694.40
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26117
26117 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26117
Hand tumor resection, tumor under 3 cm
| 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) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 26117
Hand tumor resection, tumor under 3 cm
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
26117 without 51 · national facility
$694.40
Hand tumor resection, tumor under 3 cm
26117-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$347.20
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%).
26117 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 26118Hand tumor resectionRadical, 3 cm or larger
- Both represent radical resection of a hand or finger soft-tissue tumor; the size threshold is 3 cm, with this code for smaller tumors and 26118 for tumors measuring 3 cm or more.
- 26116Hand tumor excisionDeep, under 1.5 cm
- 26116 describes conventional excision of a deep hand tumor under 1.5 cm. Use this code only when the operative extent supports radical resection.
- 26113Hand tumor excisionDeep, 1.5 cm or larger
- 26113 describes conventional excision of a deep hand tumor measuring 1.5 cm or more. Tumor size does not by itself support radical resection under this code.
- 26115Hand mass excisionSubcutaneous, under 1.5 cm
- 26115 is for excision of a small subcutaneous hand lesion, not radical resection of a soft-tissue tumor.
26117 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from a conventional tumor excision?
This code is for radical resection of a hand or finger soft-tissue tumor under 3 cm. A conventional excision code is more appropriate when the operative service does not support radical resection.
Which size determines whether this code or 26118 is reported?
Use this code for a tumor under 3 cm and 26118 for a tumor measuring 3 cm or more. The operative documentation should state the tumor size.
What documentation supports reporting this service?
The operative report should identify the hand or finger site, tumor size, tissue involved, and extent of resection. It should support radical resection rather than a routine local excision.
Are related postoperative visits included?
Yes. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery claim be reported?
Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this descriptor and anatomy. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service.
How is this code affected by another procedure in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to a 50% reduction.
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
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