Billing code 27397: Tendon transferMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Report this procedure when a surgeon transfers or transplants multiple tendons in the thigh to redirect muscle pull and improve function or correct imbalance.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27397 in Alaska.
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 27397 covers
An orthopedic surgeon transfers or transplants multiple thigh tendons, moving their attachments so muscle force acts in a different direction. The operation may be used to address weakness, muscle imbalance, or deformity; orthopedic and pediatric orthopedic surgeons perform it in an operating room, typically in a hospital or ambulatory surgical facility. The operative report should identify the tendons moved, the transfer or new attachment, the side, and the clinical problem being treated.
Select this code for multiple tendons; a transfer of a single thigh tendon is reported with 27396. Tendon lengthening is a different service, even when performed to address a similar functional problem. 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% multiple-procedure reduction. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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.
27397 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $1,046.38 |
How the 27397 rate is calculated
Each of 27397’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 · 27397
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work12.34
12.34 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense10.68
10.68 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.62
2.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
25.6400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$856.40
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27397
27397 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27397
Tendon transfer
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 27397
Tendon transfer
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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
27397 without 50 · national facility
$856.40
Tendon transfer
27397-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,284.60
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
27397 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 27396Tendon transfer
- 27396 applies to transfer or transplantation of a single thigh tendon; 27397 applies when multiple tendons are transferred.
- 27393Tendon lengthening
- 27393 describes thigh tendon lengthening, which changes tendon length. Use 27397 when multiple tendons are transferred to new attachments.
- 27394Tendon lengthening
- 27394 is for lengthening multiple thigh tendons. The number of tendons alone does not make it a transfer code; the operative action distinguishes the services.
27397 billing questions
How is this code different from 27396?
Use 27397 for transfer or transplantation of multiple thigh tendons. Use 27396 when the operation involves a single thigh tendon.
Can tendon lengthening be reported with this procedure?
Lengthening changes a tendon’s length, while this service relocates tendon attachments. Report separately performed services only when the operative documentation supports distinct procedures.
What documentation supports reporting multiple tendons?
The operative report should identify the tendons transferred, their new attachments, the side, and the functional problem treated. It should make clear that more than one tendon was moved.
How does Medicare handle bilateral surgery?
CMS pays 150% when the bilateral procedure is reported with modifier 50. The procedure also has a 90-day global period.
Can an assistant surgeon be reported?
CMS indicates that an assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.
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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