CPT code 26485: Tendon transfer, palm, without free graft2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports relocation of a tendon within the palm to improve hand function when the surgeon performs the transfer without using a free tendon graft.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26485 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 26485 covers
A hand surgeon relocates a tendon in the palm and secures it to a new site to restore or improve movement. This approach may be used when injury or nerve-related weakness has impaired hand function and a functioning tendon can be redirected to help perform the needed motion. The operative report should identify the tendons involved and describe the transfer and fixation.
Report the code for each qualifying tendon transferred in the palm without a free graft. Distinguish this work from a palmar transfer that uses a free graft and from transfers at other hand sites. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 26485 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 | $775.27 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | Unavailable | $783.02 |
| Rest of Missouri | Unavailable | $736.55 |
How the 26485 rate is calculated
Each of 26485’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 · 26485
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work7.69
7.69 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense15.00
15.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.47
1.47 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
24.1600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$806.97
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26485
26485 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26485
Tendon transfer, palm, without 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 26485
Tendon transfer, palm, without 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
26485 without 51 · national facility
$806.97
Tendon transfer, palm, without free graft
26485-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$403.49
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%).
26485 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 26489Tendon transferPalm, with free graft
- Both describe palmar tendon transfer work. Choose 26485 when the transfer is performed without a free graft; 26489 is the graft-related sibling.
- 26480Tendon transferDorsal hand, no free graft
- This code is for a transfer in the palm. Code 26480 addresses the carpometacarpal area or dorsum of the hand.
- 26483Tendon transferDorsal hand/CMC, with graft
- Code 26483 is the related hand tendon transfer or graft option. Use the operative site and whether a free graft was used to distinguish it from a palmar transfer without graft.
26485 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 26489?
This code describes a palmar tendon transfer without a free graft. Code 26489 is the related palmar transfer code for work involving a free graft.
What documentation supports reporting the transfer?
Document the palm location, the tendon transferred, the new attachment site, and the transfer and fixation performed. The record should make clear whether a free graft was used.
How many units are reported when more than one tendon is transferred?
The code is reported per tendon. The operative note should identify each tendon transferred in the palm without a free graft.
Should modifier 50 be used for transfers on both hands?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; modifier 50 is not appropriate.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative visits?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only when supporting documentation is provided; team surgery is 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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