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Billing code 25270: Extensor tendon repairMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports primary repair of one extensor tendon or muscle in the forearm or wrist, commonly after a traumatic tendon injury.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities889 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $470.95 for 25270 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 25270

Extensor tendon repair

Work RVUs
6.02
Total RVUs
14.10
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$470.95

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 25270 →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.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 25270 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 25270 covers

This service repairs one extensor tendon or muscle in the forearm or wrist. The surgeon exposes the injured structure and restores continuity, typically by suturing tendon ends after a laceration or other injury. Orthopedic, hand, or plastic surgeons commonly perform the repair in an operating room or other surgical setting. This code represents a primary repair, rather than a delayed secondary repair or repair of multiple tendons.

Select the code when the operative report supports primary repair of a single extensor tendon or muscle in the specified region; document the structure, site, injury, and repair performed. 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 other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. 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 25270 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

25270 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$424.94
Alaska*Unavailable$568.60
ArizonaUnavailable$458.10
ArkansasUnavailable$419.23
AtlantaUnavailable$483.23
AustinUnavailable$480.17
BakersfieldUnavailable$481.32
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$500.39
BeaumontUnavailable$447.42
BrazoriaUnavailable$461.75

25270 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
25270 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 25270 rate is calculated

Each of 25270’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 · 25270

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work6.02

6.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense6.89

6.89 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.19

1.19 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

14.1000

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$470.95

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 25270

25270 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 25270

Extensor tendon repair

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 · 25270

Extensor tendon repair

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

25270 without 51 · national facility

$470.95

Extensor tendon repair

25270-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$235.48

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

25270 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

  • 25270

    Extensor tendon repair6.02 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 25260

    Flexor tendon repair7.84 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 25272

    Tendon repair7.03 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 25274

    Tendon repair8.72 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 25275

    Tendon repair8.74 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

25260Flexor tendon repair
25260 describes primary repair of a single flexor tendon or muscle; 25270 is for an extensor structure.
25272Tendon repair
Both concern a single extensor tendon or muscle, but 25272 is for secondary repair rather than primary repair.
25274Tendon repair
25274 describes primary repair of multiple extensor tendons or muscles; 25270 is for a single tendon or muscle.
25275Tendon repair
25275 addresses repair of the extensor tendon sheath, rather than primary repair of the tendon or muscle itself.

Codes related to 25270

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

Codes related to 25270
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
25260Flexor tendon repairPrimary repair of a single flexor tendon or muscle in the forearm or wrist.No office rate
25263Tendon repairSecondary repair of a single flexor tendon or muscle in the forearm or wrist.No office rate
25265Flexor tendon repairPrimary repair of multiple flexor tendons or muscles in the forearm or wrist.No office rate
25272Tendon repairSecondary repair of a single extensor tendon or muscle in the forearm or wrist.No office rate
25274Tendon repairPrimary repair of multiple extensor tendons or muscles in the forearm or wrist.No office rate
25275Tendon repairRepair of an extensor tendon sheath in the forearm or wrist.No office rate

25270 billing questions

How does this differ from 25260?

25270 is for primary repair of a single extensor tendon or muscle in the forearm or wrist. 25260 describes primary repair of a single flexor tendon or muscle in that region.

When should a secondary repair code be considered?

Use a secondary repair code when the procedure is a secondary rather than primary repair. For a single extensor tendon, compare the operative circumstances with 25272.

What if the surgeon repairs more than one extensor tendon?

This code describes a single tendon. For primary repair of multiple extensor tendons, compare 25274 and document the tendons repaired.

Does the 90-day global include postoperative visits?

Yes. The global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

Can modifier 50 be used for repairs on both sides?

No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.

When is an assistant at surgery payable?

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 25270PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,421 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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