No office rate
Both codes describe tonsil removal; select 42826 for patients age 12 or older and 42825 for patients younger than 12.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
42826 in El Centro
Office / nonfacility
Not available in this setting
Base rate per service
Facility setting
$235.93
Base rate per service
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.
Otolaryngology surgery
About 42826: Tonsillectomy, age 12 or older
Removal of the palatine tonsils in a patient age 12 or older for tonsillar disease or obstruction when a combined tonsil-and-adenoid code is not appropriate.
This code describes surgical removal of the palatine tonsils in a patient who is at least 12 on the date of surgery. Otolaryngologists commonly perform the procedure in a hospital or ambulatory surgery center, often for recurrent tonsillar infections or obstructive tonsillar enlargement. It covers tonsil removal without the adenoidectomy included in a combined tonsil-and-adenoid procedure.
Choose the age-specific code based on the patient’s age on the service date; use the under-12 tonsillectomy code for younger patients. The operative report should support removal of the palatine tonsils and document the indication and any concurrent adenoid procedure. Medicare includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care in the major-surgery global period. 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. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 42826
- 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
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU3.36 · 48%
- Practice expense (office) RVU3.09 · 45%
- Malpractice RVU0.48 · 7%
1.6K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2618 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.
42826 compared with similar codes
Office rates for El Centro, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
42821 is the combined procedure when both tonsils and adenoids are removed in a patient age 12 or older; 42826 covers tonsil removal alone.
No office rate
42870 addresses excision of lingual tonsil tissue at the base of the tongue, not removal of the palatine tonsils.
The same code, a different location
How does El Centro compare?
42826 across payment areas
Same release and payment basis · bars start at $0
El Centro · This locality
Unavailable
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Other payment areas listed in California appear first, followed by selected cross-country examples. The chart compares amounts, not distance.
The code’s RVUs stay the same in these comparisons. Geographic adjustments to work, practice expense and malpractice change the dollar amount. A city name alone may not identify the payment area for a service address.
Compare all 108 other payment areas
Merced
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$235.85
No comparable office rate is available.
Modesto
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$235.85
No comparable office rate is available.
Napa
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$263.47
No comparable office rate is available.
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$247.35
No comparable office rate is available.
Redding
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$235.85
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of California
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$235.85
No comparable office rate is available.
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$241.04
No comparable office rate is available.
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$244.89
No comparable office rate is available.
Salinas
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$243.92
No comparable office rate is available.
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$247.72
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty)
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$275.77
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty)
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$275.23
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$281.99
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty)
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$279.76
No comparable office rate is available.
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$240.28
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$248.58
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$244.30
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$250.93
No comparable office rate is available.
Stockton
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$235.85
No comparable office rate is available.
Vallejo
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$262.69
No comparable office rate is available.
Visalia
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$235.85
No comparable office rate is available.
Yuba City
California · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$235.85
No comparable office rate is available.
Dc + Md/Va Suburbs
District of Columbia · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$257.71
No comparable office rate is available.
Miami
Florida · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$260.21
No comparable office rate is available.
Chicago
Illinois · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$253.53
No comparable office rate is available.
Manhattan
New York · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$264.77
No comparable office rate is available.
Alaska*
Alaska · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$287.09
No comparable office rate is available.
Alabama
Alabama · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$211.61
No comparable office rate is available.
Arkansas
Arkansas · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$209.14
No comparable office rate is available.
Arizona
Arizona · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$225.96
No comparable office rate is available.
Colorado
Colorado · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$235.91
No comparable office rate is available.
Connecticut
Connecticut · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$245.03
No comparable office rate is available.
Delaware
Delaware · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$229.17
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Lauderdale
Florida · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$245.76
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Florida
Florida · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$234.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Atlanta
Georgia · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$236.68
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Georgia
Georgia · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$223.40
No comparable office rate is available.
Hawaii, Guam
Hawaii · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$238.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Iowa
Iowa · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$213.03
No comparable office rate is available.
Idaho
Idaho · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$214.76
No comparable office rate is available.
East St. Louis
Illinois · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$239.47
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Illinois
Illinois · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$231.52
No comparable office rate is available.
Suburban Chicago
Illinois · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$247.42
No comparable office rate is available.
Indiana
Indiana · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$215.69
No comparable office rate is available.
Kansas
Kansas · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$213.61
No comparable office rate is available.
Kentucky
Kentucky · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$218.65
No comparable office rate is available.
New Orleans
Louisiana · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$227.56
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Louisiana
Louisiana · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$218.93
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Boston
Massachusetts · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$254.33
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Massachusetts
Massachusetts · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$235.48
No comparable office rate is available.
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys
Maryland · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$244.60
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maryland
Maryland · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$232.51
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maine
Maine · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$217.15
No comparable office rate is available.
Southern Maine
Maine · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$224.62
No comparable office rate is available.
Detroit
Michigan · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$238.85
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Michigan
Michigan · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$224.56
No comparable office rate is available.
Minnesota
Minnesota · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$223.17
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Kansas City
Missouri · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$224.80
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan St. Louis
Missouri · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$226.55
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Missouri
Missouri · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$216.81
No comparable office rate is available.
Mississippi
Mississippi · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$212.94
No comparable office rate is available.
Montana**
Montana · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$231.44
No comparable office rate is available.
North Carolina
North Carolina · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$218.77
No comparable office rate is available.
North Dakota**
North Dakota · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$221.94
No comparable office rate is available.
Nebraska
Nebraska · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$213.55
No comparable office rate is available.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$233.70
No comparable office rate is available.
Northern Nj
New Jersey · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$256.14
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New Jersey
New Jersey · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$247.01
No comparable office rate is available.
New Mexico
New Mexico · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$226.12
No comparable office rate is available.
Nevada**
Nevada · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$228.89
No comparable office rate is available.
Nyc Suburbs/Long Island
New York · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$271.90
No comparable office rate is available.
Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs
New York · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$249.69
No comparable office rate is available.
Queens
New York · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$264.52
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New York
New York · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$221.55
No comparable office rate is available.
Ohio
Ohio · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$222.62
No comparable office rate is available.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$216.85
No comparable office rate is available.
Portland
Oregon · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$240.62
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Oregon
Oregon · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$226.29
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Philadelphia
Pennsylvania · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$240.81
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$222.12
No comparable office rate is available.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$232.36
No comparable office rate is available.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$235.27
No comparable office rate is available.
South Carolina
South Carolina · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$221.22
No comparable office rate is available.
South Dakota**
South Dakota · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$220.82
No comparable office rate is available.
Tennessee
Tennessee · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$214.65
No comparable office rate is available.
Austin
Texas · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$235.85
No comparable office rate is available.
Beaumont
Texas · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$221.04
No comparable office rate is available.
Brazoria
Texas · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$227.91
No comparable office rate is available.
Dallas
Texas · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$229.79
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Worth
Texas · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$228.97
No comparable office rate is available.
Galveston
Texas · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$228.89
No comparable office rate is available.
Houston
Texas · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$237.67
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Texas
Texas · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$224.65
No comparable office rate is available.
Utah
Utah · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$223.64
No comparable office rate is available.
Virginia
Virginia · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$225.00
No comparable office rate is available.
Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$232.36
No comparable office rate is available.
Vermont
Vermont · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$222.52
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Washington
Washington · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$234.57
No comparable office rate is available.
Seattle (King Cnty)
Washington · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$257.57
No comparable office rate is available.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$216.04
No comparable office rate is available.
West Virginia
West Virginia · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$224.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Wyoming**
Wyoming · 42826
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$227.30
No comparable office rate is available.
See how rates vary across the country
42826 · 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 |
Where does this rate apply?
El Centro is a Medicare payment area. Our Census mapping connects it to 18 cities and communities in California, including the examples shown here.
Some communities span more than one payment area. Follow a city link to compare all of its mapped areas, or check the service-location ZIP above for an address-level starting point.
Use this rate
What is a percentage of Medicare worth?
Turn a percentage into dollars for 42826 in El Centro. This uses the base rate on this page, so the locality and release stay consistent.
Reference amount per service
$259.52
$235.93 × 110% = $259.52
A contract may specify another Medicare year or additional adjustments. This is percentage arithmetic on the displayed base rate, not a claim adjudication.
Working with a whole code list?
Compare an offer across your annual code mix, including an older Medicare schedule or flat per-code rates.
How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 42826 in El Centro.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
5,082
- Code
- 42826
- Physician work
- 3.36
- Practice expense
- 3.09
- Malpractice
- 0.48
GPCI2026.csv
10
- Locality
- El Centro
- Physician work
- 1.017
- Practice expense
- 1.096
- Malpractice
- 0.541
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 3.36 | × 1.017 | 3.4171 |
| Practice expense | 3.09 | × 1.096 | 3.3866 |
| Malpractice | 0.48 | × 0.541 | 0.2597 |
| Total RVUs | 7.0634 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, El Centro$235.93
Open 42826 in the RVU calculator →
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 3.36 | 1.017 |
| Practice expense | 3.09 | 1.096 |
| Malpractice | 0.48 | 0.541 |
(3.36 × 1.017 + 3.09 × 1.096 + 0.48 × 0.541) × $33.4009 = $235.93
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
How this rate has changed
42826 · Office / nonfacility
Rate unavailable
Effective 2026-10-01
A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.
One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.
What changed, release by release
Explore release dates and calculate this code in an earlier period →
Each row uses the accepted CMS release effective on that date and the same contractor and locality identifiers. Missing rates stay visible. Historical boundaries may differ; verify the service address for an older claim.
Inspect every release and its CMS source
| Effective from | Office / nonfacility | Facility | CMS release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $235.93 | RVU26D |
| 2026-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $235.93 | RVU26C |
| 2026-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $235.93 | RVU26B |
| 2026-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $235.93 | RVU26A |
| 2025-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $259.20 | RVU25D |
| 2025-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $259.20 | RVU25C |
| 2025-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $259.20 | RVU25B |
| 2025-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $259.20 | RVU25A |
42826 billing questions
How does this code differ from 42825?
42826 is for tonsil removal when the patient is age 12 or older on the date of surgery. 42825 is the age-specific code for patients younger than 12.
Should modifier 50 be appended for removal of both tonsils?
No. The code represents the tonsillectomy, and CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate.
Which code applies when the adenoids are removed too?
Use the age-appropriate combined tonsil-and-adenoid code when both are removed: 42821 for a patient age 12 or older, or 42820 for a younger patient.
Does the global period include postoperative visits?
Yes. The 90-day major-surgery global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be paid for this procedure?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What happens if another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction when performed in the same session.
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.
5,07942820,,Remove tonsils and adenoids,A,,4.11,3.11,NA,3.11,,0.59,7.81,7.81,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,08042821,,Remove tonsils and adenoids,A,,4.25,3.29,NA,3.29,,0.61,8.15,8.15,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,08142825,,Removal of tonsils,A,,3.42,3.39,NA,3.39,,0.48,7.29,7.29,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,08242826,,Removal of tonsils,A,,3.36,3.09,NA,3.09,,0.48,6.93,6.93,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,08342830,,Removal of adenoids,A,,2.58,2.89,NA,2.89,,0.38,5.85,5.85,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,08442831,,Removal of adenoids,A,,2.74,3.23,NA,3.23,,0.40,6.37,6.37,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,08542835,,Removal of adenoids,A,,2.32,2.82,NA,2.82,,0.35,5.49,5.49,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
707102,AR,13,ARKANSAS,1.000,0.859,0.515
801112,CA,54,BAKERSFIELD,1.019,1.096,0.609
901112,CA,55,CHICO,1.017,1.096,0.536
1001182,CA,71,EL CENTRO,1.017,1.096,0.541
1101112,CA,56,FRESNO,1.017,1.096,0.536
1201112,CA,57,HANFORD-CORCORAN,1.017,1.096,0.536
1301182,CA,18,LOS ANGELES-LONG BEACH-ANAHEIM (LOS ANGELES/ORANGE CNTY),1.041,1.183,0.664