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Billing code 26596: Constriction-band excisionMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical removal of constricting soft tissue on the hand or a digit, such as a congenital band restricting movement or circulation.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $792.60 for 26596 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 26596

Constriction-band excision

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
8.91
Total RVUs
23.73
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$792.60

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 26596 → · 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 26596 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 26596 covers

A hand surgeon or plastic surgeon uses this service to remove constricting tissue that encircles or tethers part of the hand or a digit. A typical indication is a congenital constriction band that limits motion or compromises circulation. The operative site is the abnormal band or tissue, rather than a fused web between digits or a deformity caused by bone alignment.

Report the procedure when the operative record supports excision of constricting tissue, including the affected hand or digit, the tissue treated, and the reason for surgery. The code has a 90-day global period, which 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 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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 26596 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

26596 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$711.02
Alaska*Unavailable$940.79
ArizonaUnavailable$770.05
ArkansasUnavailable$700.86
AtlantaUnavailable$813.22
AustinUnavailable$810.94
BakersfieldUnavailable$814.71
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$843.96
BeaumontUnavailable$749.27
BrazoriaUnavailable$777.07

26596 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
26596 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 26596 rate is calculated

Each of 26596’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 · 26596

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 8.91Practice expense 12.91Malpractice 1.91

23.7300 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$792.60

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 26596

26596 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 26596

Constriction-band excision

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)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 · 26596

Constriction-band excision

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

26596 without 51 · national facility

$792.60

Constriction-band excision

26596-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$396.30

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

26596 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

26596 vs 26593 vs 26560 vs 26567: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 26596
    Constriction-band excision · 8.91 wRVU
    —
  • 26593
    Muscle release · 5.36 wRVU
    —
  • 26560
    Web-space repair · 5.38 wRVU
    —
  • 26567
    Finger osteotomy · 6.82 wRVU
    —

How to choose

26593Muscle release
This code removes constricting tissue. Code 26593 addresses release of intrinsic hand muscles when muscle tightness is the operative target.
26560Web-space repair
Use 26560 for repair of syndactyly, where digits are joined by a web. Use 26596 for excision of constricting tissue around or tethering a hand or digit.
26567Finger osteotomy
Code 26567 addresses correction of a finger deformity; 26596 is for excision of constricting tissue rather than correction of the deformity itself.

Codes related to 26596

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

Codes related to 26596
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
26593Muscle releaseRelease of intrinsic hand muscles addresses muscle tightness rather than an external constricting band.No office rate
26560Web-space repairSyndactyly repair treats joined digits, not circumferential constricting tissue.No office rate
26567Finger osteotomyA finger deformity correction addresses a different structural problem than constricting soft tissue.No office rate

26596 billing questions

When is this code a better fit than a syndactyly repair code?

Use this code for excision of constricting tissue, such as a band around a digit. Syndactyly repair addresses digits joined by a web of tissue.

What documentation supports reporting this procedure?

Document the location and extent of the constricting tissue, the affected hand or digit, the functional or circulatory problem, and the excision performed.

Can modifier 50 be reported for treatment of both hands?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.

How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative visits?

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

Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted under the CMS rules supplied for this code.

How are other procedures performed in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure 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 26596PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,657 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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