No office rate
Both codes address hand tendon pulley reconstruction; 26502 involves a free tendon graft, while 26500 is used when reconstruction is performed without one.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
26502 Pulley reconstruction Medicare reimbursement rates in Maine
Reconstructs a deficient finger flexor tendon pulley using a free tendon graft, commonly when pulley failure causes tendon bowstringing and impaired finger motion. Compare 26502 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Maine.
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 26502 in Maine?
Maine has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$689.68–$722.57
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
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 26502: Finger flexor pulley reconstruction with graft
Reconstructs a deficient finger flexor tendon pulley using a free tendon graft, commonly when pulley failure causes tendon bowstringing and impaired finger motion.
A hand surgeon uses a free tendon graft to rebuild a deficient flexor tendon pulley, restoring the tendon’s close track along the finger. This operation is commonly considered for pulley disruption or deficiency associated with bowstringing and impaired finger flexion, including problems involving the A2 or A4 pulley. It is generally performed in an operating room, with graft harvest and reconstruction documented in the operative report.
Report this code when the surgeon performs pulley reconstruction with a free graft; the graft harvest is included. The record should identify the affected finger and pulley, the structural deficiency and its functional effect, and the graft-based reconstruction performed. This major surgery has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 26502
- 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 RVU7.13 · 32%
- Practice expense (office) RVU13.68 · 61%
- Malpractice RVU1.50 · 7%
106
Medicare services in 2024 · #4833 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.
26502 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Maine, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
Use 26440 for release of flexor tendon adhesions. Use 26502 when the pulley itself is reconstructed with a free graft.
No office rate
26510 describes a thumb tendon transfer, not reconstruction of a finger flexor pulley with a free graft.
Compare 26502 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Rest Of Maine →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$689.68
Southern Maine →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$722.57
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26502 billing questions
How is this different from 26500?
This code is for pulley reconstruction using a free tendon graft. Use 26500 for pulley reconstruction without a free graft.
Is harvesting the tendon graft separately reportable?
No. Graft harvest is included in this graft-based reconstruction.
Can modifier 50 be used when both hands are treated?
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 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the affected finger and pulley, the pulley deficiency and resulting functional problem, and the free-graft reconstruction performed.
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.
2,61926498,,Finger tendon transfer,A,,13.85,16.73,NA,16.73,,2.95,33.53,33.53,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,62026499,,Correction claw finger other,A,,8.94,14.61,NA,14.61,,1.91,25.46,25.46,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,62126500,,Hand tendon reconstruction,A,,5.98,13.31,NA,13.31,,1.28,20.57,20.57,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,62226502,,Hand tendon reconstruction,A,,7.13,13.68,NA,13.68,,1.50,22.31,22.31,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,62326508,,Release thumb contracture,A,,6.03,12.13,NA,12.13,,1.04,19.20,19.20,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,62426510,,Thumb tendon transfer,A,,5.46,12.28,NA,12.28,,1.05,18.79,18.79,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,62526516,,Fusion of knuckle joint,A,,7.14,12.97,NA,12.97,,1.37,21.48,21.48,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00