No office rate
Use 26474 for extensor tendon tenodesis in a finger and 26471 for flexor tendon tenodesis.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
26474 Tendon tenodesis Medicare reimbursement rates in Colorado
Reports surgical fixation of a finger extensor tendon to stabilize or control finger position when tendon balance or function requires correction. Compare 26474 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Colorado.
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 26474 in Colorado?
Colorado has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$676.84
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Colorado
One mapped payment locality.
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.
Hand surgery
About 26474: Finger extensor tendon tenodesis
Reports surgical fixation of a finger extensor tendon to stabilize or control finger position when tendon balance or function requires correction.
This procedure fixes a finger extensor tendon to a stable structure, such as bone, to limit or guide finger movement. Hand surgeons typically perform it for selected finger deformities or functional problems in which stabilizing the extensor mechanism is the operative goal. The specific technique and structures addressed depend on the patient’s anatomy and the surgical plan.
Report 26474 when the operative work is extensor tendon tenodesis of a finger; flexor tendon tenodesis is a different service. The operative report should identify the finger, tendon, fixation performed, and reason for stabilization. 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 multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 26474
- 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 not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU5.35 · 27%
- Practice expense (office) RVU13.12 · 67%
- Malpractice RVU1.14 · 6%
38
Medicare services in 2024 · #5523 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.
26474 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Colorado, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
26437 describes tendon realignment; 26474 is selected when the operative work fixes the extensor tendon for stabilization.
No office rate
26476 is for tendon lengthening. Choose 26474 when fixation of the extensor tendon, rather than a change in tendon length, is performed.
No office rate
26497 describes a finger tendon transfer. Tenodesis under 26474 stabilizes the extensor tendon instead of rerouting it to provide a different function.
Compare 26474 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.
1 of 1 payment localities
Colorado →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$676.84
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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 26474 in Colorado.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
2,605
- Code
- 26474
- Physician work
- 5.35
- Practice expense
- 13.12
- Malpractice
- 1.14
GPCI2026.csv
37
- Locality
- Colorado
- Physician work
- 1.012
- Practice expense
- 1.064
- Malpractice
- 0.781
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 5.35 | × 1.012 | 5.4142 |
| Practice expense | 13.12 | × 1.064 | 13.9597 |
| Malpractice | 1.14 | × 0.781 | 0.8903 |
| Total RVUs | 20.2642 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Colorado$676.84
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 5.35 | 1.012 |
| Practice expense | 13.12 | 1.064 |
| Malpractice | 1.14 | 0.781 |
(5.35 × 1.012 + 13.12 × 1.064 + 1.14 × 0.781) × $33.4009 = $676.84
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.
26474 billing questions
How does 26474 differ from 26471?
26474 is for finger extensor tendon tenodesis; 26471 is for finger flexor tendon tenodesis. Use the tendon treated in the operative procedure to distinguish them.
What documentation supports 26474?
Document the finger and extensor tendon treated, the fixation performed, and the clinical reason for stabilizing the tendon. The operative note should make clear that the work was tenodesis rather than tendon realignment or length alteration.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral work?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 should not be used.
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?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50% when performed in the same session.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery services 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 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.
2,60226455,,Incision of finger tendon,A,,3.67,9.38,NA,9.38,,0.69,13.74,13.74,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,60326460,,Incise hand/finger tendon,A,,3.49,9.29,NA,9.29,,0.65,13.43,13.43,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,60426471,,Fusion of finger tendons,A,,5.75,12.45,NA,12.45,,1.07,19.27,19.27,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,60526474,,Fusion of finger tendons,A,,5.35,13.12,NA,13.12,,1.14,19.61,19.61,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,60626476,,Tendon lengthening,A,,5.22,13.07,NA,13.07,,1.12,19.41,19.41,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,60726477,,Tendon shortening,A,,5.19,12.20,NA,12.20,,0.99,18.38,18.38,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,60826478,,Lengthening of hand tendon,A,,5.82,12.54,NA,12.54,,1.13,19.49,19.49,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3401112,CA,69,VISALIA,1.017,1.096,0.536
3501112,CA,70,YUBA CITY,1.017,1.096,0.536
3601112,CA,75,REST OF CALIFORNIA,1.017,1.096,0.536
3704112,CO,01,COLORADO,1.012,1.064,0.781
3813102,CT,00,CONNECTICUT,1.020,1.077,1.210
3912202,DC,01,DC + MD/VA SUBURBS,1.054,1.178,1.113
4012102,DE,01,DELAWARE,1.005,0.988,0.899