$481.01–$538.75
26010 is for simple finger abscess drainage; 26011 is for complicated drainage, with a felon as an example.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
26010 Abscess drainage Medicare reimbursement rates in Pennsylvania
Reports simple incision and drainage of a localized finger abscess, rather than complicated drainage or a procedure involving a tendon sheath or palm bursa. Compare 26010 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Pennsylvania.
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 26010 in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania 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
$348.83–$390.70
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
Facility setting
$137.57–$151.13
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.
Hand surgery
About 26010: Simple finger abscess drainage
Reports simple incision and drainage of a localized finger abscess, rather than complicated drainage or a procedure involving a tendon sheath or palm bursa.
This service opens and drains a localized abscess in a finger. It is commonly performed by a hand surgeon, emergency physician, or other clinician treating an acute finger infection in an office, emergency department, or operating setting. The work is directed at the abscess itself, not drainage of an infected tendon sheath or palm bursa.
Report 26010 when the documented procedure is simple finger abscess drainage. Identify the finger and abscess site, and document the drainage performed; a felon or another complicated finger abscess may support 26011 instead. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. 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 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.
CMS billing rules for 26010
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 10-day global period: related postoperative visits for 10 days 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 adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU1.55 · 14%
- Practice expense (office) RVU9.40 · 84%
- Malpractice RVU0.28 · 2%
4K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2003 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.
26010 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Pennsylvania, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
Choose 26020 when the procedure drains a hand tendon sheath. 26010 addresses an abscess in the finger itself.
$121.43–$133.61
10060 describes general simple abscess drainage. 26010 is the finger-specific choice when the procedure is simple drainage of a finger abscess.
Compare 26010 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
Metropolitan Philadelphia →
Office / nonfacility
$390.70
Facility
$151.13
Rest Of Pennsylvania →
Office / nonfacility
$348.83
Facility
$137.57
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26010 billing questions
When should 26011 be reported instead?
Use 26011 for complicated finger abscess drainage, including a felon. Use 26010 for simple drainage when the documented work supports that level.
How does 26010 differ from 26020?
26010 treats an abscess in the finger. 26020 is for drainage involving a hand tendon sheath, a distinct anatomic structure and service.
Are related postoperative visits separately reported?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in 26010.
Can modifier 50 be used for abscesses on two fingers?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code. Document the work and sites treated; do not use modifier 50.
What happens if another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are subject to a 50% reduction. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code.
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.
2,52425929,,Amputation follow-up surgery,A,,7.62,7.87,NA,7.87,,1.63,17.12,17.12,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,52525931,,Amputation follow-up surgery,A,,7.84,13.91,NA,13.91,,1.67,23.42,23.42,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,52625999,,Unlisted px forearm/wrist,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,YYY,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,0,1,1,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,52726010,,Drainage of finger abscess,A,,1.55,9.40,,2.51,,0.28,11.23,4.34,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,52826011,,Drainage of finger abscess,A,,2.18,12.87,,2.85,,0.43,15.48,5.46,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,52926020,,Drain hand tendon sheath,A,,6.67,7.95,NA,7.95,,1.31,15.93,15.93,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,53026025,,Drainage of palm bursa,A,,4.95,6.17,NA,6.17,,0.99,12.11,12.11,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00