No office rate
Choose 26410 when the hand tendon is repaired. Choose 26415 when the operative service removes the tendon instead of restoring it.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
26415 Tendon excision Medicare reimbursement rates
Reports operative removal of a hand or finger tendon when the treatment plan calls for excision rather than repair, reconstruction, or release. Compare 26415 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 26415?
The service location and office or facility setting determine which base rate applies. These are the supported base rates for the 109 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$734.72–$1056.39
109 of 109 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Arkansas
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $321.67 per service.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Where 26415 pays more and less
Hand surgery
About 26415: Hand or finger tendon excision
Reports operative removal of a hand or finger tendon when the treatment plan calls for excision rather than repair, reconstruction, or release.
A hand surgeon, orthopedic surgeon, or plastic surgeon uses this service to remove a tendon from the hand or a finger. The operative report should identify the tendon and describe the condition and extent of tissue removed. This is a facility-based surgical service in Medicare claims data; it is distinct from freeing a tendon from adhesions or restoring continuity of a tendon that is being preserved.
Select the code when the operative work is tendon removal, not repair, grafting, or release. Documentation should connect the excision to the clinical problem and distinguish any separately performed reconstruction. The service has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. 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. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 26415
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU8.30 · 33%
- Practice expense (office) RVU14.89 · 60%
- Malpractice RVU1.76 · 7%
18
Medicare services in 2024 · #5968 by national volume
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.
26415 compared with similar codes
Office rate ranges across all CMS payment localities, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
26412 describes hand tendon repair with grafting. This code represents tendon removal; report graft reconstruction only when that work is performed and documented.
No office rate
26416 describes tendon grafting in the hand or finger. It addresses replacement tissue, while 26415 describes removal of the tendon.
No office rate
26440 describes releasing a tendon in the palm or finger. Use 26415 for removal, not for freeing a tendon from restriction.
See how rates vary across the country
26415 · Office / nonfacility · Non-QP. Choose a state to explore its payment localities. A range means the amount varies within that state.
Explore a state
Local rates. Clear comparisons.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
View all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | No published base rate | 1 |
| AL | No published base rate | 1 |
| AR | No published base rate | 1 |
| AZ | No published base rate | 1 |
| CA | No published base rate | 29 |
| CO | No published base rate | 1 |
| CT | No published base rate | 1 |
| DC | No published base rate | 1 |
| DE | No published base rate | 1 |
| FL | No published base rate | 3 |
| GA | No published base rate | 2 |
| GU | No published base rate | 1 |
| HI | No published base rate | 1 |
| IA | No published base rate | 1 |
| ID | No published base rate | 1 |
| IL | No published base rate | 4 |
| IN | No published base rate | 1 |
| KS | No published base rate | 1 |
| KY | No published base rate | 1 |
| LA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MD | No published base rate | 3 |
| ME | No published base rate | 2 |
| MI | No published base rate | 2 |
| MN | No published base rate | 1 |
| MO | No published base rate | 3 |
| MS | No published base rate | 1 |
| MT | No published base rate | 1 |
| NC | No published base rate | 1 |
| ND | No published base rate | 1 |
| NE | No published base rate | 1 |
| NH | No published base rate | 1 |
| NJ | No published base rate | 2 |
| NM | No published base rate | 1 |
| NV | No published base rate | 1 |
| NY | No published base rate | 5 |
| OH | No published base rate | 1 |
| OK | No published base rate | 1 |
| OR | No published base rate | 2 |
| PA | No published base rate | 2 |
| PR | No published base rate | 1 |
| RI | No published base rate | 1 |
| SC | No published base rate | 1 |
| SD | No published base rate | 1 |
| TN | No published base rate | 1 |
| TX | No published base rate | 8 |
| UT | No published base rate | 1 |
| VA | No published base rate | 2 |
| VI | No published base rate | 1 |
| VT | No published base rate | 1 |
| WA | No published base rate | 2 |
| WI | No published base rate | 1 |
| WV | No published base rate | 1 |
| WY | No published base rate | 1 |
Compare 26415 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
109 of 109 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Office Unavailable | Facility $745.67 |
| Alaska* | Office Unavailable | Facility $977.90 |
| Arizona | Office Unavailable | Facility $809.47 |
| Arkansas | Office Unavailable | Facility $734.72 |
| Atlanta | Office Unavailable | Facility $853.96 |
| Austin | Office Unavailable | Facility $856.05 |
| Bakersfield | Office Unavailable | Facility $863.38 |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | Office Unavailable | Facility $888.03 |
| Beaumont | Office Unavailable | Facility $784.42 |
| Brazoria | Office Unavailable | Facility $818.16 |
| Chicago | Office Unavailable | Facility $913.91 |
| Chico | Office Unavailable | Facility $858.53 |
| Colorado | Office Unavailable | Facility $855.63 |
| Connecticut | Office Unavailable | Facility $889.54 |
| Dallas | Office Unavailable | Facility $825.51 |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Office Unavailable | Facility $943.49 |
| Delaware | Office Unavailable | Facility $822.83 |
| Detroit | Office Unavailable | Facility $856.27 |
| East St. Louis | Office Unavailable | Facility $853.17 |
| El Centro | Office Unavailable | Facility $858.83 |
| Fort Lauderdale | Office Unavailable | Facility $887.32 |
| Fort Worth | Office Unavailable | Facility $821.30 |
| Fresno | Office Unavailable | Facility $858.53 |
| Galveston | Office Unavailable | Facility $821.98 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office Unavailable | Facility $858.53 |
| Hawaii, Guam | Office Unavailable | Facility $876.74 |
| Houston | Office Unavailable | Facility $854.19 |
| Idaho | Office Unavailable | Facility $762.59 |
| Indiana | Office Unavailable | Facility $766.83 |
| Iowa | Office Unavailable | Facility $755.63 |
| Kansas | Office Unavailable | Facility $756.45 |
| Kentucky | Office Unavailable | Facility $773.15 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $915.98 |
| Madera | Office Unavailable | Facility $858.53 |
| Manhattan | Office Unavailable | Facility $966.11 |
| Merced | Office Unavailable | Facility $858.53 |
| Metropolitan Boston | Office Unavailable | Facility $934.74 |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Office Unavailable | Facility $801.66 |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | Office Unavailable | Facility $870.08 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Office Unavailable | Facility $809.60 |
| Miami | Office Unavailable | Facility $943.63 |
| Minnesota | Office Unavailable | Facility $806.39 |
| Mississippi | Office Unavailable | Facility $748.88 |
| Modesto | Office Unavailable | Facility $858.53 |
| Montana** | Office Unavailable | Facility $833.23 |
| Napa | Office Unavailable | Facility $980.05 |
| Nebraska | Office Unavailable | Facility $758.49 |
| Nevada** | Office Unavailable | Facility $824.03 |
| New Hampshire | Office Unavailable | Facility $846.40 |
| New Mexico | Office Unavailable | Facility $803.89 |
| New Orleans | Office Unavailable | Facility $812.00 |
| North Carolina | Office Unavailable | Facility $778.81 |
| North Dakota** | Office Unavailable | Facility $798.43 |
| Northern Nj | Office Unavailable | Facility $934.39 |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | Office Unavailable | Facility $995.47 |
| Ohio | Office Unavailable | Facility $790.55 |
| Oklahoma | Office Unavailable | Facility $767.03 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office Unavailable | Facility $909.47 |
| Portland | Office Unavailable | Facility $877.94 |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | Office Unavailable | Facility $905.42 |
| Puerto Rico | Office Unavailable | Facility $837.94 |
| Queens | Office Unavailable | Facility $967.59 |
| Redding | Office Unavailable | Facility $858.53 |
| Rest Of California | Office Unavailable | Facility $858.53 |
| Rest Of Florida | Office Unavailable | Facility $841.04 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Office Unavailable | Facility $790.93 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Office Unavailable | Facility $823.18 |
| Rest Of Louisiana | Office Unavailable | Facility $773.69 |
| Rest Of Maine | Office Unavailable | Facility $771.34 |
| Rest Of Maryland | Office Unavailable | Facility $837.27 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Office Unavailable | Facility $852.21 |
| Rest Of Michigan | Office Unavailable | Facility $797.67 |
| Rest Of Missouri | Office Unavailable | Facility $763.19 |
| Rest Of New Jersey | Office Unavailable | Facility $895.90 |
| Rest Of New York | Office Unavailable | Facility $791.03 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Office Unavailable | Facility $813.90 |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | Office Unavailable | Facility $789.34 |
| Rest Of Texas | Office Unavailable | Facility $802.29 |
| Rest Of Washington | Office Unavailable | Facility $849.27 |
| Rhode Island | Office Unavailable | Facility $848.68 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office Unavailable | Facility $877.45 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office Unavailable | Facility $897.12 |
| Salinas | Office Unavailable | Facility $893.75 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office Unavailable | Facility $912.22 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $1031.80 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $1029.80 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $1056.39 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $1048.22 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office Unavailable | Facility $879.92 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office Unavailable | Facility $918.83 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office Unavailable | Facility $896.40 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office Unavailable | Facility $927.79 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $949.35 |
| South Carolina | Office Unavailable | Facility $786.74 |
| South Dakota** | Office Unavailable | Facility $794.32 |
| Southern Maine | Office Unavailable | Facility $807.18 |
| Stockton | Office Unavailable | Facility $858.53 |
| Suburban Chicago | Office Unavailable | Facility $894.10 |
| Tennessee | Office Unavailable | Facility $760.88 |
| Utah | Office Unavailable | Facility $797.52 |
| Vallejo | Office Unavailable | Facility $977.17 |
| Vermont | Office Unavailable | Facility $799.34 |
| Virgin Islands | Office Unavailable | Facility $837.94 |
| Virginia | Office Unavailable | Facility $807.61 |
| Visalia | Office Unavailable | Facility $858.53 |
| West Virginia | Office Unavailable | Facility $793.54 |
| Wisconsin | Office Unavailable | Facility $771.78 |
| Wyoming** | Office Unavailable | Facility $818.07 |
| Yuba City | Office Unavailable | Facility $858.53 |
Need rates for a whole code list?
Fee-sheet and API access are in early access. Tell us which codes and locations your team needs.
26415 billing questions
How is excision different from tendon repair?
Report excision when the operative work removes the tendon. Repair codes describe restoring or reconstructing a tendon rather than removing it.
Is freeing a tendon from adhesions included?
Freeing a tendon is a release procedure, not tendon excision. Choose the code that matches the work documented in the operative report.
What documentation supports this service?
Document the hand or finger tendon involved, why it was removed, and the extent of the excision. Describe separately any repair or graft reconstruction performed.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. The descriptor or anatomy makes a bilateral adjustment inappropriate for this code.
How are multiple procedures paid 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 requires documented medical necessity.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
2,58426392,,Repair/graft hand tendon,A,,10.24,16.70,NA,16.70,,2.18,29.12,29.12,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,58526410,,Repair hand tendon,A,,4.65,12.37,NA,12.37,,0.90,17.92,17.92,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,58626412,,Repair/graft hand tendon,A,,6.32,13.29,NA,13.29,,1.21,20.82,20.82,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,58726415,,Excision hand/finger tendon,A,,8.30,14.89,NA,14.89,,1.76,24.95,24.95,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,58826416,,Graft hand or finger tendon,A,,9.32,15.56,NA,15.56,,1.98,26.86,26.86,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,58926418,,Repair finger tendon,A,,4.36,13.58,NA,13.58,,0.85,18.79,18.79,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,59026420,,Repair/graft finger tendon,A,,6.77,13.45,NA,13.45,,1.28,21.50,21.50,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00