Billing code 26356: Flexor tendon repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports secondary repair of a flexor tendon in a finger or hand when the tendon is repaired without a free graft, counted for each tendon.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26356 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 26356 covers
A hand surgeon typically reports this service when performing secondary repair of a flexor tendon in a finger or hand, such as a delayed repair where the tendon can be rejoined without inserting a free tendon graft. The operation may take place in a hospital or ambulatory surgery center. The operative note should identify the flexor tendon and site, establish that this is a secondary rather than primary repair, and describe the repair method and each tendon treated.
Report one unit for each tendon repaired under this code. Distinguish it from primary repair and from secondary repair that uses a free graft. Medicare assigns the procedure a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period are included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for it, and 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.
Where 26356 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 | $806.80 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $860.62 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $766.77 |
How the 26356 rate is calculated
Each of 26356’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 · 26356
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work9.32
9.32 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense11.45
11.45 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.79
1.79 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
22.5600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$753.52
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26356
26356 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26356
Flexor tendon repair
| 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) | 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 · 26356
Flexor tendon repair
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
26356 without 51 · national facility
$753.52
Flexor tendon repair
26356-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$376.76
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%).
26356 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 26350Flexor tendon repair
- Use 26350 for primary flexor tendon repair without a free graft. This code is for secondary repair without a free graft.
- 26352Tendon repair
- 26352 describes primary flexor tendon repair using a free graft. This code describes secondary repair without a free graft.
- 26357Flexor tendon repair
- Both are in the flexor tendon repair family; check the full code descriptors to distinguish the applicable secondary repair method.
26356 billing questions
How does this differ from primary flexor tendon repair?
This code is for secondary repair. Use a primary-repair code when the operation is the initial repair rather than a secondary procedure.
When is a grafted repair coded instead?
Use the applicable graft code when a free tendon graft is used. Document whether a graft was used and how the tendon was repaired.
How many units should be reported?
Report one unit for each tendon repaired under this code. The operative report should identify the tendon or tendons treated.
Can modifier 50 be used for repairs on both hands?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid for this procedure?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. 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
Fee sheets
Put 26356 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →