CPT code 26480: Tendon transfer, dorsal hand, no free graft2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports rerouting a tendon in the dorsal hand or carpometacarpal region without a free graft to restore or redirect hand function.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26480 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 26480 covers
A hand surgeon reroutes or transplants a tendon in the carpometacarpal region or on the back of the hand, without using a free tendon graft. The procedure can redirect the pull of a functioning tendon to improve movement affected by tendon imbalance, injury, or loss of nerve function. It is typically performed in an operating room by an orthopedic or plastic surgeon specializing in hand surgery.
Report the service for the tendon transfer or transplant in this location and document the operative anatomy, tendon moved, new attachment or route, and absence of a free graft. The related code for the same region with a free graft is 26483; palm or finger procedures belong to different codes. This major surgery 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 other procedures are reduced. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. 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 26480 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 | $647.26 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | Unavailable | $652.80 |
| Rest of Missouri | Unavailable | $622.51 |
How the 26480 rate is calculated
Each of 26480’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 · 26480
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work8.78
8.78 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense9.56
9.56 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.66
1.66 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
20.0000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$668.02
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26480
26480 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26480
Tendon transfer, dorsal hand, no free graft
| 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 · 26480
Tendon transfer, dorsal hand, no free graft
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
26480 without 51 · national facility
$668.02
Tendon transfer, dorsal hand, no free graft
26480-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$334.01
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%).
26480 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 26483Tendon transferDorsal hand/CMC, with graft
- Use 26483 for the corresponding dorsal hand or carpometacarpal tendon procedure when a free graft is used. This code applies when no free graft is used.
- 26485Tendon transferPalm, without free graft
- The site distinguishes the codes: 26485 covers palm or finger tendon work without a free graft, while this code covers the carpometacarpal region or back of the hand.
- 26437Tendon realignmentHand or finger extensor
- 26437 describes tendon realignment. This code is for relocating or transplanting a tendon to redirect its function.
26480 billing questions
How does this code differ from 26483?
This code describes tendon transfer or transplantation in the dorsal hand or carpometacarpal region without a free graft. Code 26483 is the corresponding option when a free graft is used.
When should a palm or finger tendon code be considered instead?
Choose based on the operative site. This code is for the carpometacarpal region or back of the hand; palm and finger procedures are represented by other codes, including 26485 and 26489.
What operative details support reporting this service?
Document the involved region, the tendon moved, its route or new attachment, and whether a free graft was used. The record should establish that the work is a tendon transfer or transplant rather than simple realignment.
Can modifier 50 be used when both hands are treated?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
When is an assistant-at-surgery payable?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is limited to cases with 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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