CPT code 26541: Ligament repair, with tendon graft2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $799.62 for 26541 nationally in a facility.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 26541 covers

This operation repairs a collateral ligament at a metacarpophalangeal or interphalangeal joint of the hand using a tendon graft. A hand or orthopedic surgeon may perform it when the ligament is too damaged or deficient for a direct repair, such as in a chronically unstable finger joint. It is typically performed in an operating room, often in a facility setting.

Report the code when the operative report supports collateral ligament repair with a tendon graft, rather than a repair without a graft or a different joint reconstruction. Documentation should identify the digit, joint, ligament, instability or deficiency, and graft use. The 90-day global period 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 the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require 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 26541 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

26541 rates by state

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

How the 26541 rate is calculated

Each of 26541’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 26541

26541 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

26541 compared with similar codes

How to choose

26540Ligament repairMCP or IP joint

Choose 26540 for collateral ligament repair without a tendon graft; choose 26541 when the repair uses a tendon graft.

26545Finger joint reconstructionLigament reconstruction with graft

26545 describes collateral ligament reconstruction with a tendon graft at the metacarpophalangeal joint. Distinguish it from this repair code by the documented procedure and joint.

26548Finger joint reconstructionLocal tissue technique

26548 describes collateral ligament reconstruction with a tendon graft at an interphalangeal joint. Use the code matching the documented reconstruction rather than a graft-based repair.

Codes related to 26541

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates