Billing code 25312: Tendon transferMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports a multiple-tendon transfer or transplant in the forearm or wrist, commonly performed to restore movement affected by nerve palsy or tendon dysfunction.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 25312 in Florida.
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 25312 covers
This service covers surgically redirecting or transplanting multiple tendons in the forearm or wrist to improve movement or restore a lost function. An orthopedic hand surgeon typically performs the reconstruction in a hospital or ambulatory surgery center. A familiar clinical situation is tendon reconstruction for paralysis or palsy, such as loss of wrist or finger movement after nerve injury.
Choose this code when the operative work involves multiple tendons in the forearm or wrist, rather than a single tendon. The operative report should identify the tendons treated, their original and new functions or attachments, and the condition prompting reconstruction. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be allowed; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and 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.
Where 25312 pays more and less in Florida
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | Unavailable | $718.41 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $771.57 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $683.21 |
How the 25312 rate is calculated
Each of 25312’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 · 25312
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work9.57
9.57 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.43
8.43 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.88
1.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
19.8800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$664.01
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 25312
25312 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 25312
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) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| 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 · 25312
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 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
25312 without 51 · national facility
$664.01
Tendon transfer
25312-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$332.01
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%).
25312 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 25310Tendon transfer
- Use 25310 for transfer or transplant of a single tendon in the forearm or wrist; 25312 represents multiple tendons.
- 25315Tendon transfer
- This code concerns multiple-tendon work in the forearm or wrist. Code 25315 is for tendon work addressing palsy in the hand.
- 25316Hand tendon reconstruction
- Choose based on the operative site: 25312 covers multiple tendons in the forearm or wrist, while 25316 addresses hand tendon work for palsy.
25312 billing questions
How does this differ from 25310?
25312 is for transfer or transplant work involving multiple forearm or wrist tendons. Use 25310 for the corresponding single-tendon procedure.
When would 25315 or 25316 be a better fit?
Those codes address tendon work for palsy in the hand. This code describes multiple-tendon work in the forearm or wrist.
What should the operative report document?
Identify each tendon involved, its transfer or transplant, the forearm or wrist anatomy treated, and the functional problem being addressed.
Is this reported once for each tendon?
The code represents a multiple-tendon procedure. Document the tendons treated and the operative work rather than treating the code as a simple per-tendon unit.
How are assistant and co-surgeon services handled?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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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