Billing code 26250: Hand tumor resectionMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Reports extensive resection of a tumor involving a metacarpal when the operation goes beyond limited curettage or partial bone removal.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26250 in Ohio.
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 26250 covers
This code represents extensive removal of a tumor involving a metacarpal, rather than a limited scrape-out or partial bone excision. An orthopedic or hand surgeon typically performs the operation in an operating room when the tumor’s extent calls for a broader resection. The operative report should identify the involved metacarpal, the tumor, and the extent of bone removed; pathology findings can support the diagnosis but do not replace the operative details.
Select this service based on the operation actually performed and the extent of resection, not simply the presence of a bone tumor. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the 90-day global period. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this descriptor. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity; 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.
26250 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $953.33 |
How the 26250 rate is calculated
Each of 26250’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 · 26250
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 14.83Practice expense 11.53Malpractice 3.16
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26250
26250 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26250
Hand tumor resection
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 26250
Hand tumor resection
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
26250 without 51 · national facility
$985.99
Hand tumor resection
26250-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$493.00
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%).
26250 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
26250 vs 26200 vs 26230 vs 26260 vs 26262: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 26200Bone lesion removal
- Use 26200 for limited excision or curettage of a metacarpal lesion. Code 26250 describes the more extensive tumor resection.
- 26230Hand bone excision
- Code 26230 is for partial metacarpal bone excision. Select 26250 when the operative report supports extensive tumor resection.
- 26260Finger tumor resection
- Code 26260 applies to tumor resection involving the proximal phalanx; 26250 is the metacarpal-level code.
- 26262Tumor resection
- Code 26262 applies to tumor resection involving the distal phalanx; 26250 is for the metacarpal.
26250 billing questions
When is this code a better fit than curettage of a metacarpal lesion?
Use this code when the surgeon performs an extensive tumor resection. Limited excision or curettage of a metacarpal lesion is represented by 26200.
How is this different from partial metacarpal excision?
Code 26230 represents partial removal of metacarpal bone. Choose 26250 when the documented operation is an extensive tumor resection, rather than a partial bone excision.
Can modifier 50 be used for tumors involving both hands?
Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this descriptor. The CMS bilateral adjustment is not used for 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.
When is an assistant at surgery payable?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this service.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
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 26250 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 →