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CPT code 26170: Tendon excision, palm, each tendon2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical removal of a tendon in the palm, counted per tendon when the palmar tendon itself is the operative target.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities604 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $391.79 for 26170 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 26170

Tendon excision, palm, each tendon

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
4.79
Total RVUs
11.73
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$391.79

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 26170 →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 26170 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 26170 covers

This procedure removes a tendon located in the palm. A hand, orthopedic, or plastic surgeon may perform it when the operative plan calls for removal of the tendon itself, rather than release of tendon adhesions, excision of a tendon-sheath lesion, or treatment of palmar fascia. The operative report should identify the tendon and its palmar location, explain the reason for removal, and document how many tendons were treated.

Report one service for each tendon excised. The documentation should make clear that the tendon—not a neighboring sheath, mass, or contracture—is the structure removed. This is major surgery with a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; follow the each-tendon descriptor. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of 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 26170 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

26170 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$353.32
AlaskaUnavailable$471.06
ArizonaUnavailable$381.13
ArkansasUnavailable$348.54
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$401.67
Austin, TXUnavailable$400.27
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$402.12
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$416.31
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$371.51
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$384.50

26170 rates by state

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

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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
26170 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 26170 rate is calculated

Each of 26170’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 · 26170

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work4.79

4.79 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense6.02

6.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.92

0.92 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

11.7300

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$391.79

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 26170

26170 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 26170

Tendon excision, palm, each tendon

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)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
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 · 26170

Tendon excision, palm, each tendon

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 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

26170 without 51 · national facility

$391.79

Tendon excision, palm, each tendon

26170-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$195.90

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%).

When to use modifier 51

26170 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 26170

    Tendon excision, palm, each tendon4.79 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26180

    Tendon excision, flexor tendon, finger5.22 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26145

    Tenosynovectomy, palm or finger, each tendon6.33 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26160

    Tendon sheath excision, hand or finger lesion3.48 wRVU

    $657.66

  • 26123

    Dupuytren release, palm and one digit10.61 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

26180Tendon excisionFlexor tendon, finger
Use 26170 for a tendon in the palm; use 26180 when the tendon excised is in a finger.
26145TenosynovectomyPalm or finger, each tendon
26145 releases adhesions around a tendon while preserving it. This code reports removal of the palmar tendon itself.
26160Tendon sheath excisionHand or finger lesion
26160 describes removal of a tendon-sheath lesion. Choose this code when the lesion, rather than the tendon, is removed.
26123Dupuytren releasePalm and one digit
26123 is used for fasciectomy involving palmar fascia and a digit in contracture treatment; it is not tendon excision.

Codes related to 26170

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

Codes related to 26170
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
26180Tendon excision, flexor tendon, fingerTendon excision in a finger rather than in the palm.No office rate
Used instead
26145Tenosynovectomy, palm or finger, each tendonTenolysis frees adhesions when the tendon is preserved rather than removed.No office rate
26160Tendon sheath excision, hand or finger lesionUsed for excision of a tendon-sheath lesion when the tendon itself is not removed.$573.74–$889.79

26170 billing questions

How does this differ from finger tendon excision?

This code is for a tendon in the palm. Code 26180 describes tendon excision in a finger.

Can this be reported for freeing a tendon from adhesions?

No. When the tendon is preserved and adhesions are released, consider tenolysis code 26145 rather than tendon excision.

What documentation supports reporting this code?

Document the tendon removed, its palmar location, the clinical reason for removal, and the number of tendons treated.

Should modifier 50 be used for work on both hands?

No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code; report the service according to its each-tendon descriptor.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.

Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?

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 26170PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,559 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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