No office rate
Both describe decompression of the fingers or hand. Choose 26037 when neurovascular structures are explored as part of the operation; otherwise consider 26035.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
26037 Hand decompression Medicare reimbursement rates in Nebraska
Reports surgical pressure relief in the fingers or hand when the operation also explores neurovascular structures, such as in compartment syndrome. Compare 26037 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Nebraska.
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 26037 in Nebraska?
Nebraska has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$479.25
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Nebraska
One mapped payment locality.
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 26037: Hand compartment decompression with neurovascular exploration
Reports surgical pressure relief in the fingers or hand when the operation also explores neurovascular structures, such as in compartment syndrome.
This operation relieves pressure in the fingers or hand and includes exploration of nearby nerves and blood vessels. Hand surgeons and other qualified surgeons may perform it for acute compartment syndrome or another documented pressure problem requiring decompression and neurovascular assessment, commonly in an operating room. The operative report should identify the affected hand or fingers, the reason for decompression, the release performed, and the neurovascular structures explored.
Choose this code when the decompression includes that exploration; use the related basic decompression code when neurovascular exploration is not performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. For bilateral procedures, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 26037
- 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
- Assistant at surgery is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU7.38 · 47%
- Practice expense (office) RVU6.96 · 44%
- Malpractice RVU1.44 · 9%
153
Medicare services in 2024 · #4544 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.
26037 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Nebraska, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
This code describes neuroplasty of a digital nerve. It is directed at a digital nerve problem, rather than pressure relief across hand or finger compartments.
No office rate
This code is for drainage of a hand or finger tendon sheath. Use it for a tendon-sheath infection, not for compartment decompression with neurovascular exploration.
Compare 26037 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.
1 of 1 payment localities
Nebraska →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$479.25
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 26037 in Nebraska.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
2,534
- Code
- 26037
- Physician work
- 7.38
- Practice expense
- 6.96
- Malpractice
- 1.44
GPCI2026.csv
72
- Locality
- Nebraska
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.923
- Malpractice
- 0.378
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 7.38 | × 1.000 | 7.3800 |
| Practice expense | 6.96 | × 0.923 | 6.4241 |
| Malpractice | 1.44 | × 0.378 | 0.5443 |
| Total RVUs | 14.3484 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Nebraska$479.25
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 7.38 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 6.96 | 0.923 |
| Malpractice | 1.44 | 0.378 |
(7.38 × 1 + 6.96 × 0.923 + 1.44 × 0.378) × $33.4009 = $479.25
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
26037 billing questions
How does this differ from 26035?
Use 26037 when the decompression includes exploration of neurovascular structures. Code 26035 describes the related decompression without that exploration.
What documentation supports 26037?
Document the pressure-related condition, the fingers or hand treated, the decompression performed, and the neurovascular structures explored.
Are related postoperative visits separately reported?
The 90-day global period includes related postoperative care, as well as the day-before preoperative visit.
How is a bilateral procedure reported?
Report modifier 50 for a bilateral procedure; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple-procedure rule, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are paid at 50%.
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.
2,53126030,,Drainage of palm bursas,A,,6.09,6.67,NA,6.67,,1.19,13.95,13.95,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,53226034,,Treat hand bone lesion,A,,6.46,8.03,NA,8.03,,1.26,15.75,15.75,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,53326035,,Decompress fingers/hand,A,,11.09,10.96,NA,10.96,,2.36,24.41,24.41,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,53426037,,Decompress fingers/hand,A,,7.38,6.96,NA,6.96,,1.44,15.78,15.78,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,53526040,,Release palm contracture,A,,3.37,5.25,NA,5.25,,0.62,9.24,9.24,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,53626045,,Release palm contracture,A,,5.59,6.87,NA,6.87,,1.11,13.57,13.57,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,53726055,,Incise finger tendon sheath,A,,3.03,15.24,,5.00,,0.58,18.85,8.61,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6905302,MO,01,METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS,1.000,0.952,1.002
7005302,MO,99,REST OF MISSOURI,1.000,0.862,0.974
7103202,MT,01,MONTANA**,1.000,1.000,0.998
7205402,NE,00,NEBRASKA,1.000,0.923,0.378
7301312,NV,00,NEVADA**,1.000,1.001,0.833
7414312,NH,40,NEW HAMPSHIRE,1.000,1.041,0.875
7512402,NJ,01,NORTHERN NJ,1.063,1.160,1.068