$614.38–$873.53
This code reports foot tendon revision generally. Code 28238 identifies a distinct reconstruction service, so base selection on the operation documented rather than the shared foot-tendon context.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
28261 Tendon revision Medicare reimbursement rates
Reports operative revision of a foot tendon when the surgeon revises previously altered tendon tissue to address persistent or recurrent dysfunction. Compare 28261 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 28261?
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
$1000.20–$1412.25
109 of 109 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Arkansas
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $412.05 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 28261 pays more and less
109 payment localities
$1000.20 to $1412.25
Foot surgery
About 28261: Foot tendon revision surgery
Reports operative revision of a foot tendon when the surgeon revises previously altered tendon tissue to address persistent or recurrent dysfunction.
This code describes surgery to revise a tendon in the foot. It may be performed by an orthopedic foot-and-ankle surgeon or a podiatric surgeon when a previously operated or altered tendon requires further surgical correction. The operative report should identify the tendon and foot site, the reason revision was needed, and the work performed. The code is relevant to procedures performed in a facility operating room or, less commonly, an office setting.
Select the code based on the documented revision of foot tendon tissue, rather than a tendon release or incision alone. Documentation should distinguish revision from the original repair and describe the operative findings and technique. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including 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% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 28261
- 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 procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- 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 RVU12.78 · 38%
- Practice expense (office) RVU18.67 · 55%
- Malpractice RVU2.19 · 7%
169
Medicare services in 2024 · #4478 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.
28261 compared with similar codes
Office rate ranges across all CMS payment localities, from the same CMS release.
$365.51–$539.22
Use 28225 for tendon release. Use this code when the surgeon revises tendon tissue rather than releasing it.
$384.91–$560.69
Code 28230 describes incision of a foot tendon; this code is for revision of a foot tendon.
See how rates vary across the country
28261 · 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.
$1,000.20
$1,344.73
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $1,344.73 | 1 |
| AL | $1,013.91 | 1 |
| AR | $1,000.20 | 1 |
| AZ | $1,093.74 | 1 |
| CA | $1,156.79–$1,412.25 | 29 |
| CO | $1,152.62 | 1 |
| CT | $1,195.52 | 1 |
| DC | $1,265.92 | 1 |
| DE | $1,110.87 | 1 |
| FL | $1,132.96–$1,261.02 | 3 |
| GA | $1,070.30–$1,149.57 | 2 |
| GU | $1,178.24 | 1 |
| HI | $1,178.24 | 1 |
| IA | $1,026.49 | 1 |
| ID | $1,035.17 | 1 |
| IL | $1,110.54–$1,224.44 | 4 |
| IN | $1,040.49 | 1 |
| KS | $1,027.46 | 1 |
| KY | $1,048.17 | 1 |
| LA | $1,048.82–$1,096.76 | 2 |
| MA | $1,148.64–$1,254.04 | 2 |
| MD | $1,129.36–$1,265.92 | 3 |
| ME | $1,046.07–$1,091.00 | 2 |
| MI | $1,078.79–$1,151.96 | 2 |
| MN | $1,090.19 | 1 |
| MO | $1,035.65–$1,093.82 | 3 |
| MS | $1,017.83 | 1 |
| MT | $1,123.46 | 1 |
| NC | $1,055.42 | 1 |
| ND | $1,080.16 | 1 |
| NE | $1,030.09 | 1 |
| NH | $1,140.03 | 1 |
| NJ | $1,205.15–$1,255.25 | 2 |
| NM | $1,086.55 | 1 |
| NV | $1,112.01 | 1 |
| NY | $1,070.70–$1,331.47 | 5 |
| OH | $1,069.94 | 1 |
| OK | $1,040.57 | 1 |
| OR | $1,099.39–$1,180.93 | 2 |
| PA | $1,068.45–$1,170.97 | 2 |
| PR | $1,129.37 | 1 |
| RI | $1,144.40 | 1 |
| SC | $1,065.24 | 1 |
| SD | $1,075.04 | 1 |
| TN | $1,032.99 | 1 |
| TX | $1,062.29–$1,152.29 | 8 |
| UT | $1,078.73 | 1 |
| VA | $1,091.50–$1,265.92 | 2 |
| VI | $1,129.37 | 1 |
| VT | $1,081.24 | 1 |
| WA | $1,144.72–$1,273.12 | 2 |
| WI | $1,046.80 | 1 |
| WV | $1,073.44 | 1 |
| WY | $1,104.59 | 1 |
Compare 28261 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 $1013.91 | Facility $718.44 |
| Alaska* | Office $1344.73 | Facility $985.10 |
| Arizona | Office $1093.74 | Facility $766.53 |
| Arkansas | Office $1000.20 | Facility $710.13 |
| Atlanta | Office $1149.57 | Facility $806.48 |
| Austin | Office $1152.29 | Facility $795.02 |
| Bakersfield | Office $1162.98 | Facility $792.88 |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | Office $1193.29 | Facility $830.96 |
| Beaumont | Office $1062.29 | Facility $755.00 |
| Brazoria | Office $1105.32 | Facility $770.67 |
| Chicago | Office $1224.44 | Facility $885.07 |
| Chico | Office $1156.79 | Facility $786.69 |
| Colorado | Office $1152.62 | Facility $793.32 |
| Connecticut | Office $1195.52 | Facility $831.84 |
| Dallas | Office $1114.57 | Facility $778.23 |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Office $1265.92 | Facility $868.13 |
| Delaware | Office $1110.87 | Facility $777.24 |
| Detroit | Office $1151.96 | Facility $826.10 |
| East St. Louis | Office $1147.89 | Facility $837.22 |
| El Centro | Office $1157.15 | Facility $787.05 |
| Fort Lauderdale | Office $1190.82 | Facility $848.74 |
| Fort Worth | Office $1109.28 | Facility $776.33 |
| Fresno | Office $1156.79 | Facility $786.69 |
| Galveston | Office $1110.07 | Facility $774.76 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office $1156.79 | Facility $786.69 |
| Hawaii, Guam | Office $1178.24 | Facility $794.30 |
| Houston | Office $1150.16 | Facility $814.84 |
| Idaho | Office $1035.17 | Facility $724.50 |
| Indiana | Office $1040.49 | Facility $727.45 |
| Iowa | Office $1026.49 | Facility $717.51 |
| Kansas | Office $1027.46 | Facility $722.19 |
| Kentucky | Office $1048.17 | Facility $747.97 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office $1230.65 | Facility $831.17 |
| Madera | Office $1156.79 | Facility $786.69 |
| Manhattan | Office $1294.81 | Facility $902.42 |
| Merced | Office $1156.79 | Facility $786.69 |
| Metropolitan Boston | Office $1254.04 | Facility $850.85 |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Office $1083.88 | Facility $766.80 |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | Office $1170.97 | Facility $819.45 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Office $1093.82 | Facility $772.35 |
| Miami | Office $1261.02 | Facility $909.49 |
| Minnesota | Office $1090.19 | Facility $742.72 |
| Mississippi | Office $1017.83 | Facility $727.09 |
| Modesto | Office $1156.79 | Facility $786.69 |
| Montana** | Office $1123.46 | Facility $785.78 |
| Napa | Office $1312.81 | Facility $867.75 |
| Nebraska | Office $1030.09 | Facility $718.41 |
| Nevada** | Office $1112.01 | Facility $773.99 |
| New Hampshire | Office $1140.03 | Facility $788.50 |
| New Mexico | Office $1086.55 | Facility $776.90 |
| New Orleans | Office $1096.76 | Facility $779.00 |
| North Carolina | Office $1055.42 | Facility $740.36 |
| North Dakota** | Office $1080.16 | Facility $742.47 |
| Northern Nj | Office $1255.25 | Facility $863.54 |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | Office $1331.47 | Facility $929.97 |
| Ohio | Office $1069.94 | Facility $761.63 |
| Oklahoma | Office $1040.57 | Facility $739.02 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office $1221.48 | Facility $822.33 |
| Portland | Office $1180.93 | Facility $805.76 |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | Office $1217.42 | Facility $847.65 |
| Puerto Rico | Office $1129.37 | Facility $787.97 |
| Queens | Office $1296.75 | Facility $897.61 |
| Redding | Office $1156.79 | Facility $786.69 |
| Rest Of California | Office $1156.79 | Facility $786.69 |
| Rest Of Florida | Office $1132.96 | Facility $810.14 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Office $1070.30 | Facility $769.09 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Office $1110.54 | Facility $802.23 |
| Rest Of Louisiana | Office $1048.82 | Facility $749.97 |
| Rest Of Maine | Office $1046.07 | Facility $735.40 |
| Rest Of Maryland | Office $1129.36 | Facility $787.62 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Office $1148.64 | Facility $793.06 |
| Rest Of Michigan | Office $1078.79 | Facility $770.48 |
| Rest Of Missouri | Office $1035.65 | Facility $744.57 |
| Rest Of New Jersey | Office $1205.15 | Facility $836.40 |
| Rest Of New York | Office $1070.70 | Facility $749.90 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Office $1099.39 | Facility $763.05 |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | Office $1068.45 | Facility $758.46 |
| Rest Of Texas | Office $1084.71 | Facility $764.25 |
| Rest Of Washington | Office $1144.72 | Facility $789.14 |
| Rhode Island | Office $1144.40 | Facility $795.57 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office $1180.40 | Facility $810.30 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office $1206.68 | Facility $813.95 |
| Salinas | Office $1202.05 | Facility $810.68 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office $1225.13 | Facility $821.27 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office $1380.26 | Facility $904.13 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office $1377.77 | Facility $901.64 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office $1412.25 | Facility $925.31 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office $1402.08 | Facility $915.14 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office $1183.60 | Facility $798.98 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office $1232.70 | Facility $822.42 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office $1205.13 | Facility $811.40 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office $1244.65 | Facility $829.98 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Office $1273.12 | Facility $858.78 |
| South Carolina | Office $1065.24 | Facility $753.22 |
| South Dakota** | Office $1075.04 | Facility $737.35 |
| Southern Maine | Office $1091.00 | Facility $756.36 |
| Stockton | Office $1156.79 | Facility $786.69 |
| Suburban Chicago | Office $1199.90 | Facility $853.10 |
| Tennessee | Office $1032.99 | Facility $726.04 |
| Utah | Office $1078.73 | Facility $761.31 |
| Vallejo | Office $1309.23 | Facility $864.16 |
| Vermont | Office $1081.24 | Facility $746.93 |
| Virgin Islands | Office $1129.37 | Facility $787.97 |
| Virginia | Office $1091.50 | Facility $759.56 |
| Visalia | Office $1156.79 | Facility $786.69 |
| West Virginia | Office $1073.44 | Facility $780.00 |
| Wisconsin | Office $1046.80 | Facility $723.30 |
| Wyoming** | Office $1104.59 | Facility $766.90 |
| Yuba City | Office $1156.79 | Facility $786.69 |
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.
28261 billing questions
How is this different from a foot tendon release?
Report this code for revision of foot tendon tissue. Codes 28225 and 28226 describe tendon release procedures, not revision.
What should the operative note establish?
Document the foot tendon revised, the reason further surgery was required, and the revision work performed. The note should make clear that the procedure was a revision rather than a release or incision.
Does the code have a 90-day global period?
Yes. The global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How are other procedures performed in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures in that session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral surgery?
Yes. CMS pays bilateral reporting with modifier 50 at 150%.
May an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
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 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.
3,15928240,,Release of big toe,A,,4.37,8.37,,3.48,,0.44,13.18,8.29,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,16028250,,Revision of foot fascia,A,,5.91,11.20,,4.84,,0.83,17.94,11.58,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,16128260,,Release of midfoot joint,A,,7.99,13.47,,6.01,,1.24,22.70,15.24,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,16228261,,Revision of foot tendon,A,,12.78,18.67,,8.56,,2.19,33.64,23.53,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,16328262,,Revision of foot and ankle,A,,16.78,24.34,,10.97,,3.20,44.32,30.95,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,16428264,,Release of midfoot joint,A,,10.38,16.62,,7.46,,1.73,28.73,19.57,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,16528270,,Release of foot contracture,A,,4.81,9.32,,4.21,,0.50,14.63,9.52,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00