$426.06–$612.23
64721 identifies median nerve surgery at the carpal tunnel. Use 64722 only when the decompressed nerve and site do not fit a more specific code.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
64722 Nerve decompression Medicare reimbursement rates
Reports surgical release of a compressed peripheral nerve when the operative nerve does not fit a more specifically named decompression code. Compare 64722 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 64722?
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
$329.86–$452.28
109 of 109 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Arkansas
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $122.42 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 64722 pays more and less
Peripheral nerve surgery
About 64722: Decompression of an unspecified peripheral nerve
Reports surgical release of a compressed peripheral nerve when the operative nerve does not fit a more specifically named decompression code.
A surgeon exposes a compressed peripheral nerve and releases constricting tissue to relieve pressure on the nerve. The code is for an unspecified nerve, so the operative report should identify the nerve and anatomic site even though the code does not name either. Peripheral nerve decompression is typically performed in an operating room or ambulatory surgery setting for a documented entrapment or other compression problem.
Select this code when a more specific nerve or site code does not describe the operation. Document the nerve, location, compression findings, and release performed. 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 the others are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be allowed; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 64722
- 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 may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU4.70 · 42%
- Practice expense (office) RVU5.36 · 48%
- Malpractice RVU1.11 · 10%
2.8K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2230 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.
64722 compared with similar codes
Office rate ranges across all CMS payment localities, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
64726 is specific to a plantar digital nerve. 64722 is the unspecified-nerve option when that named nerve and site are not involved.
No office rate
64718 identifies ulnar nerve surgery at the elbow. Choose it for that named nerve and site rather than reporting an unspecified-nerve decompression.
See how rates vary across the country
64722 · 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 64722 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 $334.62 |
| Alaska* | Office Unavailable | Facility $446.57 |
| Arizona | Office Unavailable | Facility $362.20 |
| Arkansas | Office Unavailable | Facility $329.86 |
| Atlanta | Office Unavailable | Facility $383.88 |
| Austin | Office Unavailable | Facility $379.56 |
| Bakersfield | Office Unavailable | Facility $378.76 |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | Office Unavailable | Facility $397.46 |
| Beaumont | Office Unavailable | Facility $354.34 |
| Brazoria | Office Unavailable | Facility $364.58 |
| Chicago | Office Unavailable | Facility $423.09 |
| Chico | Office Unavailable | Facility $375.74 |
| Colorado | Office Unavailable | Facility $378.31 |
| Connecticut | Office Unavailable | Facility $397.80 |
| Dallas | Office Unavailable | Facility $368.52 |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Office Unavailable | Facility $417.62 |
| Delaware | Office Unavailable | Facility $367.98 |
| Detroit | Office Unavailable | Facility $392.26 |
| East St. Louis | Office Unavailable | Facility $396.36 |
| El Centro | Office Unavailable | Facility $375.93 |
| Fort Lauderdale | Office Unavailable | Facility $405.37 |
| Fort Worth | Office Unavailable | Facility $367.21 |
| Fresno | Office Unavailable | Facility $375.74 |
| Galveston | Office Unavailable | Facility $366.71 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office Unavailable | Facility $375.74 |
| Hawaii, Guam | Office Unavailable | Facility $382.01 |
| Houston | Office Unavailable | Facility $387.03 |
| Idaho | Office Unavailable | Facility $339.23 |
| Indiana | Office Unavailable | Facility $340.96 |
| Iowa | Office Unavailable | Facility $335.51 |
| Kansas | Office Unavailable | Facility $337.51 |
| Kentucky | Office Unavailable | Facility $350.06 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $399.83 |
| Madera | Office Unavailable | Facility $375.74 |
| Manhattan | Office Unavailable | Facility $433.86 |
| Merced | Office Unavailable | Facility $375.74 |
| Metropolitan Boston | Office Unavailable | Facility $410.18 |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Office Unavailable | Facility $361.31 |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | Office Unavailable | Facility $390.41 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Office Unavailable | Facility $364.57 |
| Miami | Office Unavailable | Facility $437.12 |
| Minnesota | Office Unavailable | Facility $352.18 |
| Mississippi | Office Unavailable | Facility $338.53 |
| Modesto | Office Unavailable | Facility $375.74 |
| Montana** | Office Unavailable | Facility $373.01 |
| Napa | Office Unavailable | Facility $421.67 |
| Nebraska | Office Unavailable | Facility $336.24 |
| Nevada** | Office Unavailable | Facility $367.08 |
| New Hampshire | Office Unavailable | Facility $375.79 |
| New Mexico | Office Unavailable | Facility $365.68 |
| New Orleans | Office Unavailable | Facility $367.57 |
| North Carolina | Office Unavailable | Facility $347.71 |
| North Dakota** | Office Unavailable | Facility $351.07 |
| Northern Nj | Office Unavailable | Facility $414.14 |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | Office Unavailable | Facility $448.74 |
| Ohio | Office Unavailable | Facility $357.81 |
| Oklahoma | Office Unavailable | Facility $345.66 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office Unavailable | Facility $396.09 |
| Portland | Office Unavailable | Facility $385.98 |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | Office Unavailable | Facility $404.95 |
| Puerto Rico | Office Unavailable | Facility $374.50 |
| Queens | Office Unavailable | Facility $432.11 |
| Redding | Office Unavailable | Facility $375.74 |
| Rest Of California | Office Unavailable | Facility $375.74 |
| Rest Of Florida | Office Unavailable | Facility $383.86 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Office Unavailable | Facility $360.87 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Office Unavailable | Facility $378.39 |
| Rest Of Louisiana | Office Unavailable | Facility $350.94 |
| Rest Of Maine | Office Unavailable | Facility $344.75 |
| Rest Of Maryland | Office Unavailable | Facility $373.77 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Office Unavailable | Facility $377.56 |
| Rest Of Michigan | Office Unavailable | Facility $362.30 |
| Rest Of Missouri | Office Unavailable | Facility $347.42 |
| Rest Of New Jersey | Office Unavailable | Facility $399.43 |
| Rest Of New York | Office Unavailable | Facility $353.13 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Office Unavailable | Facility $361.36 |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | Office Unavailable | Facility $356.37 |
| Rest Of Texas | Office Unavailable | Facility $360.36 |
| Rest Of Washington | Office Unavailable | Facility $375.76 |
| Rhode Island | Office Unavailable | Facility $377.97 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office Unavailable | Facility $387.65 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office Unavailable | Facility $390.72 |
| Salinas | Office Unavailable | Facility $389.22 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office Unavailable | Facility $395.91 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $441.35 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $440.09 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $452.28 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $447.13 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office Unavailable | Facility $383.44 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office Unavailable | Facility $397.67 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office Unavailable | Facility $390.00 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office Unavailable | Facility $401.41 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $414.79 |
| South Carolina | Office Unavailable | Facility $353.92 |
| South Dakota** | Office Unavailable | Facility $348.47 |
| Southern Maine | Office Unavailable | Facility $357.80 |
| Stockton | Office Unavailable | Facility $375.74 |
| Suburban Chicago | Office Unavailable | Facility $407.64 |
| Tennessee | Office Unavailable | Facility $339.63 |
| Utah | Office Unavailable | Facility $358.56 |
| Vallejo | Office Unavailable | Facility $419.85 |
| Vermont | Office Unavailable | Facility $352.98 |
| Virgin Islands | Office Unavailable | Facility $374.50 |
| Virginia | Office Unavailable | Facility $359.14 |
| Visalia | Office Unavailable | Facility $375.74 |
| West Virginia | Office Unavailable | Facility $365.61 |
| Wisconsin | Office Unavailable | Facility $339.91 |
| Wyoming** | Office Unavailable | Facility $363.45 |
| Yuba City | Office Unavailable | Facility $375.74 |
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64722 billing questions
When should this code be chosen instead of a named-nerve decompression code?
Use it when the operation decompresses a nerve that is not represented by a more specific nerve or site code. The operative report should still name the nerve and its location.
Can it be reported for carpal tunnel release?
For decompression of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel, compare the specific carpal tunnel code 64721 rather than defaulting to an unspecified-nerve code.
How does the multiple-procedure rule affect payment?
When this and other procedures are performed in the same session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard 50% reduction to the others.
Should modifier 50 be appended for bilateral decompression?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
What should the operative note support?
Document the nerve and anatomic site, the compression addressed, and the release performed. These details support use of this unspecified code rather than a more specific nerve code.
How are assistant and co-surgeon services handled?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be allowed. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, while 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 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.
7,20864718,,Revise ulnar nerve at elbow,A,,7.08,8.71,NA,8.71,,1.43,17.22,17.22,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,20964719,,Revise ulnar nerve at wrist,A,,4.85,5.80,NA,5.80,,0.96,11.61,11.61,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,21064721,,Carpal tunnel surgery,A,,4.85,8.61,,6.83,,0.99,14.45,12.67,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,21164722,,Decompression unspec nerve,A,,4.70,5.36,NA,5.36,,1.11,11.17,11.17,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,21264726,,Dcmprn plantar digital nerve,A,,4.16,3.14,NA,3.14,,0.43,7.73,7.73,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,21364727,,Internal neurolysis,A,,3.02,1.06,NA,1.06,,0.26,4.34,4.34,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,21464728,,Dcmprn median nrv carpl tunl,A,,2.70,37.27,,0.73,,0.24,40.21,3.67,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00