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Billing code 25310: Tendon transferMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports a single tendon transfer or transplant in the forearm or wrist to restore movement when injury or tendon loss impairs function.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities11.3K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $668.35 for 25310 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 25310

Tendon transfer

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
8.78
Total RVUs
20.01
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$668.35

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 25310 → · 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 25310 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 25310 covers

The hand or orthopedic surgeon redirects one functioning tendon or transplants a tendon graft in the forearm or wrist to restore or improve movement. These procedures may be part of reconstruction after tendon damage or loss. The code includes obtaining the graft when one is needed. The work is typically performed in an operating room, with the specific tendon and the intended functional change guiding code selection.

Report this code for a single tendon; a procedure involving multiple tendons may require a different code in the family. The operative report should identify the tendon moved or transplanted, the recipient location, the indication, and whether a graft was obtained. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.

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 25310 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

25310 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$604.23
Alaska*Unavailable$810.69
ArizonaUnavailable$650.42
ArkansasUnavailable$596.28
AtlantaUnavailable$685.55
AustinUnavailable$681.10
BakersfieldUnavailable$682.77
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$709.57
BeaumontUnavailable$635.65
BrazoriaUnavailable$655.55

25310 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
25310 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 25310 rate is calculated

Each of 25310’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 · 25310

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 8.78Practice expense 9.56Malpractice 1.67

20.0100 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$668.35

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 25310

25310 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 25310

Tendon transfer

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)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
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 · 25310

Tendon transfer

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.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned 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

25310 without 51 · national facility

$668.35

Tendon transfer

25310-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$334.18

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

25310 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

25310 vs 25312 vs 25315 vs 25316: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 25310
    Tendon transfer · 8.78 wRVU
    —
  • 25312
    Tendon transfer · 9.57 wRVU
    —
  • 25315
    Tendon transfer · 10.41 wRVU
    —
  • 25316
    Hand tendon reconstruction · 12.58 wRVU
    —

How to choose

25312Tendon transfer
Choose 25310 for a single tendon. The related multiple-tendon code is the relevant family option when more than one tendon is transferred or transplanted.
25315Tendon transfer
25315 is the paralysis-related option for a tendon procedure addressing hand palsy. Use 25310 for the single-tendon service when that paralysis-specific circumstance is not the basis for code selection.
25316Hand tendon reconstruction
25316 describes a related paralysis-hand tendon procedure with a different extent or tendon count. Distinguish it from the single-tendon service reported with 25310.

Codes related to 25310

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

Codes related to 25310
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
25312Tendon transferRelated forearm or wrist tendon transfer/transplant code for multiple tendons.No office rate
Used instead
25315Tendon transferParalysis-related tendon transfer code; consider it when the service addresses hand palsy.No office rate
25316Hand tendon reconstructionRelated paralysis-hand tendon procedure code for a different tendon count or extent.No office rate

25310 billing questions

How does this code differ from 25312?

25310 is for a single tendon. Use the applicable multiple-tendon code when the operation transfers or transplants multiple tendons.

Is harvesting a tendon graft separately reported?

Obtaining the graft is included in this service. The operative note should still identify the graft and the tendon reconstruction performed.

Can modifier 50 be used for a bilateral procedure?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code based on its descriptor or anatomy.

What postoperative care is included?

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

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be billed?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; 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
RVUs for 25310PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,430 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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