Billing code 26593: Muscle releaseMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports operative release of intrinsic hand muscles when their restriction contributes to a hand deformity or limits finger motion.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26593 in Oregon.
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 26593 covers
billing code 26593 describes an operation that releases intrinsic muscles within the hand to address muscle tightness or contracture affecting hand position or finger movement. A hand or orthopedic surgeon typically performs it in an operating room. The operative report should identify the muscle or muscles released, the affected hand and clinical problem, and the release performed; do not substitute this code for work directed at a joint, bone, or palmar fascia.
Report the service for the muscle-release work documented, and distinguish it from intrinsic muscle repair or release of constricting tissue. Medicare 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 the others are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and 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.
Where 26593 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $676.42 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $623.61 |
How the 26593 rate is calculated
Each of 26593’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 · 26593
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 5.36Practice expense 12.63Malpractice 1.04
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26593
26593 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26593
Muscle release
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| 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 · 26593
Muscle release
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
26593 without 51 · national facility
$635.62
Muscle release
26593-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$317.81
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%).
26593 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
26593 vs 26591 vs 26596 vs 26567: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 26591Hand muscle repair
- Choose 26593 when the operative work releases intrinsic hand muscle; choose 26591 when the surgeon repairs intrinsic hand muscle.
- 26596Constriction-band excision
- 26596 is directed at excising constricting tissue, such as palmar tissue; 26593 is directed at intrinsic hand muscle.
- 26567Finger osteotomy
- 26567 addresses finger deformity through bone correction. Use 26593 when the documented corrective work is release of intrinsic hand muscle.
26593 billing questions
How is 26593 different from 26591?
26593 is for releasing intrinsic hand muscles; 26591 is for repairing them. The operative work, not simply the presence of a hand deformity, determines which code fits.
Is release of palmar constricting tissue reported as 26593?
No. 26593 concerns intrinsic hand muscles. Code 26596 addresses excision of constricting tissue, so identify the tissue actually treated in the operative report.
Can modifier 50 be used when both hands are treated?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for 26593; modifier 50 should not be used for this code.
How does Medicare handle 26593 with another procedure in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, with the other procedures subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. The 90-day global period includes related postoperative care.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be paid for 26593?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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
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