Billing code 25280: Tendon adjustmentMedicare rate & RVUs in Alabama
Reports operative lengthening or shortening of a flexor or extensor tendon at the forearm or wrist to adjust tendon length or function.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 25280 in Alabama.
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 9 sections
What 25280 covers
The surgeon surgically changes the length of a flexor or extensor tendon in the forearm or wrist. This may be performed to address a tendon-length imbalance or contracture affecting wrist or hand movement. Orthopedic and hand surgeons typically perform the procedure in an operating room, with the operative report identifying the tendon and describing the adjustment made.
Report the service for each tendon lengthened or shortened; documentation should distinguish this work from tendon repair, cutting a tendon, or freeing adhesions. This major surgery has 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 others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is not appropriate. Assistant-at-surgery and co-surgeon payment require supporting documentation; team surgery is 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.
25280 in Alabama
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Unavailable | $481.41 |
How the 25280 rate is calculated
Each of 25280’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 · 25280
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work7.21
7.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.32
7.32 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.41
1.41 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
15.9400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$532.41
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 25280
25280 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 25280
Tendon adjustment
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 25280
Tendon adjustment
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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
25280 without 51 · national facility
$532.41
Tendon adjustment
25280-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$266.21
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%).
25280 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 25260Flexor tendon repair
- This code is for changing tendon length. Code 25260 is used for primary repair of a forearm or wrist flexor tendon or muscle.
- 25270Extensor tendon repair
- This code adjusts tendon length; 25270 is for primary repair of a forearm or wrist extensor tendon or muscle.
- 25290Tendon division
- Use 25290 for open division of a tendon. Use this code when the surgeon lengthens or shortens the tendon instead.
- 25295Tendon release
- Code 25295 is for freeing adhesions that restrict tendon movement. This code describes surgical lengthening or shortening.
25280 billing questions
When should this code be chosen instead of a tendon repair code?
Use this code when the surgeon changes the length of a forearm or wrist flexor or extensor tendon. Choose a repair code when the operative service repairs a tendon rather than adjusting its length.
How many units should be reported?
The service is reported for each tendon treated. The operative note should identify each tendon and document whether it was lengthened or shortened.
Is modifier 50 appropriate when both sides are treated?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the same session are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; 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 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
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