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CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01

21261 Orbital reconstruction Medicare reimbursement rates in Delaware

Reports major reconstructive surgery of the orbital skeleton to correct a structural deformity or deficiency requiring bony reconstruction. Compare 21261 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Delaware.

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 21261 in Delaware?

Delaware 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

$2150.15

1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.

Payment area: Delaware

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.

Find 21261 in your payment locality →

Craniofacial surgery

About 21261: Orbital skeletal reconstruction

Reports major reconstructive surgery of the orbital skeleton to correct a structural deformity or deficiency requiring bony reconstruction.

This code represents major reconstruction of the bony framework around the eye socket. Craniofacial, plastic, oral and maxillofacial, or oculoplastic surgeons may perform this work in an operating room to address a substantial orbital skeletal deformity or deficiency. The operative plan and extent of bony reconstruction—not simply the presence of an eye or eyelid problem—distinguish this service from limited canthal procedures or other facial bone work.

Select the code when the operative report supports the orbital reconstruction described by this code, including the affected anatomy and reconstructive work performed. CMS 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 one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.

CMS billing rules for 21261

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 RVU33.22 · 51%
  • Practice expense (office) RVU25.75 · 40%
  • Malpractice RVU6.17 · 9%

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.

21261 compared with similar codes

Office rates for Delaware, from the same CMS release.

21260

Orbital reconstruction

Osteotomy and repositioning

No office rate

Both are closely related orbital reconstruction codes. Choose by matching the documented bony work and operative extent to the specific code descriptor, rather than relying on the diagnosis alone.

21267

Orbital repositioning

Unilateral osteotomies

No office rate

This code is for orbital repositioning. Compare its descriptor with 21261 and report the one that matches the actual reconstructive service performed.

21280

Canthopexy

Medial canthal tendon

No office rate

21280 is medial canthopexy, a canthal support procedure. It does not represent major reconstruction of the orbital bony framework.

21256

Orbital reconstruction

With bone graft

No office rate

21256 is another orbital reconstruction code with a distinct descriptor. Use it when its described reconstructive service, rather than the work represented by 21261, was performed.

Compare 21261 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

Office and facility base rates · shared scale starting at $0

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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 21261 in Delaware.

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

1,932

Code
21261
Physician work
33.22
Practice expense
25.75
Malpractice
6.17

GPCI2026.csv

40

Locality
Delaware
Physician work
1.005
Practice expense
0.988
Malpractice
0.899
Facility calculation for 21261 in Delaware
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work33.22× 1.00533.3861
Practice expense25.75× 0.98825.4410
Malpractice6.17× 0.8995.5468
Total RVUs64.3739
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Facility rate, Delaware$2150.15

Values as parsed from CMS release RVU26D, effective 2026-10-01. The amount is rounded to the nearest cent only at the end.
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula

Facility

Facility calculation inputs
ComponentRVULocal GPCI
Work33.221.005
Practice expense25.750.988
Malpractice6.170.899

(33.22 × 1.005 + 25.75 × 0.988 + 6.17 × 0.899) × $33.4009 = $2150.15

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.

21261 billing questions

How is 21261 distinguished from nearby orbital reconstruction codes?

Use the operative report to match the specific bony reconstruction and extent to the applicable descriptor. A diagnosis involving the orbit alone does not establish which reconstruction code applies.

Should modifier 50 be appended when both sides are involved?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; do not report it with modifier 50.

Are routine postoperative visits separately reported?

Related postoperative care during the 90-day global period is included. The global period also includes the day-before preoperative visit.

How does the multiple-procedure rule affect payment?

When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

What documentation supports reporting 21261?

Document the orbital anatomy treated, the structural problem, and the bony reconstructive work performed. The operative detail should support selecting this code over a less extensive orbital or canthal procedure.

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.

RVUs for 21261PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 1,932 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for DelawareGPCI2026.csv, line 40 (RVU26D)