Billing code 26121: Palmar fasciectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Delaware
Reports surgical removal of contracted palmar fascia for a palm-limited contracture, such as Dupuytren disease, without release of a contracted digit.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26121 in Delaware.
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 26121 covers
The surgeon removes contracted fascia or cords in the palm to improve a fixed palmar contracture, commonly from Dupuytren disease. The work covered by this code is confined to the palm; release of a contracted finger changes the code choice. Hand, orthopedic, and plastic surgeons typically perform the operation in an operating room or ambulatory surgery setting.
Select the code from the operative extent, not simply the diagnosis or degree of contracture. The operative report should identify the palmar tissue treated and make clear whether the release extended into a digit. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When other 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 surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; 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.
26121 in Delaware
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Unavailable | $555.06 |
How the 26121 rate is calculated
Each of 26121’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 · 26121
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work7.54
7.54 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.84
7.84 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.44
1.44 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
16.8200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$561.80
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26121
26121 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26121
Palmar fasciectomy
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| 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 · 26121
Palmar fasciectomy
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
26121 without 50 · national facility
$561.80
Palmar fasciectomy
26121-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$842.70
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).
26121 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 26123Dupuytren release
- Use 26121 when the operation is limited to the palm. Use 26123 when release includes one contracted digit.
- 26040Palm contracture release
- This describes percutaneous palmar fascial release; 26121 represents surgical removal of contracted palmar fascia.
- 26045Palmar release
- This describes open release of palmar fascia. Choose 26121 when the operative work removes the contracted fascia rather than simply releasing it.
- 26125Palmar fasciectomy
- 26125 describes release of each additional digit in the 26123 coding context; it is not the palm-only service represented by 26121.
26121 billing questions
How does 26121 differ from 26123?
26121 is for removal of contracted palmar fascia confined to the palm. Use 26123 when the operation also releases a contracted single digit.
Is the code selected by the number of cords removed?
The operative extent determines the code, not a count of individual cords. Document whether the work remained in the palm or extended into a digit.
Can modifier 50 be used when both palms are treated?
Yes. CMS pays bilateral surgery reported with modifier 50 at 150%; the operative documentation should support treatment on both sides.
What postoperative care is included?
CMS includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care in the 90-day global period.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code, and co-surgeons and team surgery are 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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