Billing code 25315: Tendon transferMedicare rate & RVUs in Nevada
Reports tendon-transfer reconstruction at the forearm or wrist to restore hand function lost from radial nerve palsy, including impaired wrist, finger, or thumb extension.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 25315 in Nevada.
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 25315 covers
This operation redirects functioning tendon action to compensate for weakness caused by radial nerve palsy. The reconstructive goal is to improve lost wrist, finger, or thumb extension. An orthopedic or hand surgeon typically performs the transfer in an operating room, often as part of reconstruction for persistent functional loss after nerve injury or palsy. The operative report should identify the palsy being addressed, the tendons transferred, and the intended functional correction.
Report 25315 for the tendon-transfer procedure when the reconstruction addresses radial nerve palsy; distinguish it from transfers performed for other nerve-palsy patterns or from tendon transfers coded under the general forearm-and-wrist pathway. This major surgery has 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 is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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.
25315 in Nevada**
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada** | Unavailable | $708.76 |
How the 25315 rate is calculated
Each of 25315’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 · 25315
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work10.41
10.41 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.96
8.96 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.21
2.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
21.5800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$720.79
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 25315
25315 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 25315
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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| 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 · 25315
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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
25315 without 50 · national facility
$720.79
Tendon transfer
25315-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,081.19
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
25315 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 25316Hand tendon reconstruction
- Both codes describe palsy-related tendon-transfer reconstruction, but 25315 is for radial nerve palsy; 25316 represents a different nerve-palsy pattern.
- 25310Tendon transfer
- 25310 is the general forearm or wrist tendon transplantation or transfer code. Choose 25315 when the transfer is the specific reconstruction for radial nerve palsy.
- 25312Tendon transfer
- 25312 addresses an additional tendon in the general forearm or wrist transfer pathway; 25315 is the palsy-specific reconstruction code.
25315 billing questions
How is 25315 distinguished from 25316?
25315 addresses tendon-transfer reconstruction for radial nerve palsy. 25316 is the neighboring palsy-specific code for a different nerve-palsy pattern; use the operative diagnosis and documented reconstructive purpose to distinguish them.
When would 25310 be considered instead?
25310 describes tendon transplantation or transfer in the forearm or wrist through the general tendon-transfer pathway. Use 25315 when the procedure is specifically the palsy reconstruction represented by this code.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral surgery?
Yes. CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure, with modifier 50 paid at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted under the CMS rules supplied for this code.
What documentation supports reporting 25315?
Document radial nerve palsy, the functional deficit being reconstructed, the tendons transferred, and the operative work performed. The record should make clear that the transfer addresses the radial-palsy pattern.
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 25315 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 →