CPT code 26170: Tendon excision, palm, each tendon2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports surgical removal of a tendon in the palm, counted per tendon when the palmar tendon itself is the operative target.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26170 in California.
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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On this page 9 sections
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 in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | Unavailable | $402.12 |
| Chico, CA | Unavailable | $399.56 |
| El Centro, CA | Unavailable | $399.71 |
| Fresno, CA | Unavailable | $399.56 |
| Hanford, CA | Unavailable | $399.56 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Unavailable | $424.82 |
| Madera, CA | Unavailable | $399.56 |
| Marin County, CA | Unavailable | $472.81 |
| Merced, CA | Unavailable | $399.56 |
| Modesto, CA | Unavailable | $399.56 |
| Napa, CA | Unavailable | $450.69 |
| Oxnard, CA | Unavailable | $421.28 |
| Redding, CA | Unavailable | $399.56 |
| Rest of California | Unavailable | $399.56 |
| Riverside, CA | Unavailable | $409.46 |
| Sacramento, CA | Unavailable | $416.07 |
| Salinas, CA | Unavailable | $414.46 |
| San Benito County, CA | Unavailable | $484.01 |
| San Diego, CA | Unavailable | $421.93 |
| San Francisco, CA | Unavailable | $471.76 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Unavailable | $408.20 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Unavailable | $479.74 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | Unavailable | $424.12 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Unavailable | $415.39 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | Unavailable | $428.18 |
| Stockton, CA | Unavailable | $399.56 |
| Vallejo, CA | Unavailable | $449.19 |
| Visalia, CA | Unavailable | $399.56 |
| Yuba City, CA | Unavailable | $399.56 |
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
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
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 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.
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%).
26170 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
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.
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
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