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Billing code 26117: Hand tumor resectionMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports radical removal of a soft-tissue tumor in the hand or finger when the tumor measures less than 3 cm and the operative extent supports radical resection.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities180 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $694.40 for 26117 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 26117

Hand tumor resection

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
9.88
Total RVUs
20.79
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$694.40

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 26117 → · 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 26117 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 26117 covers

A hand surgeon or other qualified surgeon removes a small soft-tissue tumor from the hand or finger using a radical resection approach, taking the tumor and surrounding tissue as indicated by the operative plan. This is an operative service, commonly performed in a hospital or ambulatory surgery center when the tumor’s location or extent calls for surgical treatment. The tumor’s size alone does not establish this code; the documented extent of resection must support the radical procedure rather than a conventional local excision.

Report this code when the resected tumor is under 3 cm and the operative report supports radical resection. Document the tumor’s measured size, site, involved tissue, extent of removal, and relevant margin or specimen details. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this descriptor and anatomy. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting 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 26117 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

26117 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$628.42
Alaska*Unavailable$849.10
ArizonaUnavailable$675.64
ArkansasUnavailable$620.27
AtlantaUnavailable$713.46
AustinUnavailable$704.83
BakersfieldUnavailable$703.45
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$737.13
BeaumontUnavailable$662.86
BrazoriaUnavailable$679.81

26117 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
26117 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 26117 rate is calculated

Each of 26117’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 · 26117

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 9.88Practice expense 8.93Malpractice 1.98

20.7900 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$694.40

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 26117

26117 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 26117

Hand tumor resection

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)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
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 · 26117

Hand tumor resection

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

26117 without 51 · national facility

$694.40

Hand tumor resection

26117-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$347.20

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

26117 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

26117 vs 26118 vs 26116 vs 26113 vs 26115: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 26117
    Hand tumor resection · 9.88 wRVU
    —
  • 26118
    Hand tumor resection · 14.44 wRVU
    —
  • 26116
    Hand tumor excision · 6.57 wRVU
    —
  • 26113
    Hand tumor excision · 6.95 wRVU
    —
  • 26115
    Hand mass excision · 3.86 wRVU
    $588.19

How to choose

26118Hand tumor resection
Both represent radical resection of a hand or finger soft-tissue tumor; the size threshold is 3 cm, with this code for smaller tumors and 26118 for tumors measuring 3 cm or more.
26116Hand tumor excision
26116 describes conventional excision of a deep hand tumor under 1.5 cm. Use this code only when the operative extent supports radical resection.
26113Hand tumor excision
26113 describes conventional excision of a deep hand tumor measuring 1.5 cm or more. Tumor size does not by itself support radical resection under this code.
26115Hand mass excision
26115 is for excision of a small subcutaneous hand lesion, not radical resection of a soft-tissue tumor.

Codes related to 26117

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

Codes related to 26117
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
26118Hand tumor resectionRadical resection of a hand or finger soft-tissue tumor measuring 3 cm or more.No office rate
Used instead
26116Hand tumor excisionFor conventional excision of a deep hand tumor under 1.5 cm.No office rate
26113Hand tumor excisionFor conventional excision of a deep hand tumor measuring 1.5 cm or more.No office rate
26115Hand mass excisionFor excision of a subcutaneous hand lesion under 1.5 cm.$514.82–$782.67
26111Hand mass excisionFor excision of a subcutaneous hand lesion measuring 1.5 cm or more.No office rate

26117 billing questions

How is this code distinguished from a conventional tumor excision?

This code is for radical resection of a hand or finger soft-tissue tumor under 3 cm. A conventional excision code is more appropriate when the operative service does not support radical resection.

Which size determines whether this code or 26118 is reported?

Use this code for a tumor under 3 cm and 26118 for a tumor measuring 3 cm or more. The operative documentation should state the tumor size.

What documentation supports reporting this service?

The operative report should identify the hand or finger site, tumor size, tissue involved, and extent of resection. It should support radical resection rather than a routine local excision.

Are related postoperative visits included?

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

Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery claim be reported?

Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this descriptor and anatomy. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service.

How is this code affected by another procedure in the same session?

Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to a 50% reduction.

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 26117PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,549 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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