$614.52–$648.94
28225 is for release of a flexor tendon; 28226 is the related extensor tendon release code. The operative report should establish which tendon was treated.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
28225 Tendon release Medicare reimbursement rates in Maine
Reports surgical release of a flexor tendon in the foot when adhesions or restriction limit tendon movement and require operative treatment. Compare 28225 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 28225 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
$383.64–$403.22
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
Facility setting
$237.06–$245.33
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.
Foot surgery
About 28225: Foot flexor tendon release
Reports surgical release of a flexor tendon in the foot when adhesions or restriction limit tendon movement and require operative treatment.
This service involves freeing a flexor tendon in the foot when restricted glide interferes with movement. An orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon or podiatric surgeon may perform it in an operating room or other surgical setting, often for a tendon that remains tethered after prior surgery or injury. The operative work releases the tendon rather than repairing or grafting a damaged tendon or cutting it as a tenotomy.
Report the code when the operative note identifies the flexor tendon released, the foot and side treated, and the clinical restriction that prompted the procedure. This major surgery has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For other procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and additional procedures are paid at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 28225
- 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 procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU3.69 · 30%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.21 · 67%
- Malpractice RVU0.39 · 3%
574
Medicare services in 2024 · #3437 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.
28225 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Maine, from the same CMS release.
$508.80–$532.78
Both involve foot tendon release, but the code choice depends on the specific procedure and extent documented. Do not select based only on the short descriptor.
$403.17–$422.77
28230 describes incision of foot tendon(s). Use 28225 when the work frees a restricted flexor tendon rather than cutting the tendon.
$349.92–$367.66
28232 describes incision of a toe flexor tendon. This code is for release of a flexor tendon in the foot.
Compare 28225 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
$383.64
Facility
$237.06
Southern Maine →
Office / nonfacility
$403.22
Facility
$245.33
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28225 billing questions
How is this different from a foot tendon tenotomy?
This code describes freeing a restricted flexor tendon. Tenotomy codes describe cutting or incising a tendon, rather than releasing adhesions to restore its glide.
What should the operative note identify?
Document the flexor tendon released, the foot and laterality, the reason its movement was restricted, and the release performed.
Does the 90-day global period include postoperative visits?
Yes. Related postoperative care for 90 days and the day-before preoperative visit are included in the global period.
How is bilateral treatment reported?
When the procedure is performed on both feet, modifier 50 identifies the bilateral service; CMS pays it at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted. Co-surgeons are paid only when supporting documentation is provided.
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.
3,15028210,,Repair/graft of foot tendon,A,,6.36,10.76,,4.76,,0.78,17.90,11.90,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,15128220,,Release of foot tendon,A,,4.55,8.38,,3.65,,0.44,13.37,8.64,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,15228222,,Release of foot tendons,A,,5.62,10.03,,4.21,,0.62,16.27,10.45,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,15328225,,Release of foot tendon,A,,3.69,8.21,,3.44,,0.39,12.29,7.52,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,15428226,,Release of foot tendons,A,,4.55,14.39,,6.17,,0.98,19.92,11.70,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,15528230,,Incision of foot tendon(s),A,,4.25,8.21,,3.40,,0.43,12.89,8.08,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,15628232,,Incision of toe tendon,A,,3.42,7.44,,3.16,,0.34,11.20,6.92,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00