Billing code 26350: Flexor tendon repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports primary repair or advancement of a finger or hand flexor tendon in zone 1 or 2, without a free graft, for each tendon treated.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26350 in Texas.
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 26350 covers
This code describes primary repair or advancement of a flexor tendon in zone 1 or 2 without a free graft, reported for each tendon treated. Hand surgeons, including orthopedic or plastic surgeons, commonly perform the procedure in an operating room after a finger or hand injury such as a laceration has divided a flexor tendon. The operative record should identify the tendon, anatomical zone, primary repair, and whether a graft was used.
Select the code based on the tendon’s zone and the type of repair; a secondary repair or a repair using a free graft is represented elsewhere in the family. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to a 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery and does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery.
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 26350 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Unavailable | $763.53 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $691.28 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $727.23 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $733.01 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $728.56 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $730.13 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $751.91 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $709.63 |
How the 26350 rate is calculated
Each of 26350’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 · 26350
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work6.05
6.05 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense14.88
14.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.19
1.19 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
22.1200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$738.83
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26350
26350 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26350
Flexor tendon repair
| 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 · 26350
Flexor tendon repair
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
26350 without 51 · national facility
$738.83
Flexor tendon repair
26350-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$369.42
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%).
26350 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 26352Tendon repair
- Both codes describe flexor tendon repair without a free graft in zones 1 or 2; 26350 is for primary repair, while 26352 is for secondary repair.
- 26356Flexor tendon repair
- Both describe primary flexor tendon repair without a free graft. Choose 26350 for zones 1 or 2 and 26356 for zones 3, 4, or 5.
- 26358Hand tendon repair
- This code is for flexor tendon repair in zones 1 or 2 using a free graft; 26350 describes repair without a free graft.
26350 billing questions
When is this code selected instead of 26356?
Use 26350 for primary flexor tendon repair in zone 1 or 2. Code 26356 describes primary repair in zones 3, 4, or 5.
Does this code include a free tendon graft?
No. This code describes repair without a free graft; a repair using a free graft belongs to the graft-specific code family.
How many units are reported when multiple tendons are repaired?
The code is reported for each tendon treated. Document the tendon and zone for each repair.
Can modifier 50 be used for repairs on both hands?
No. CMS identifies modifier 50 as inappropriate for this code. The descriptor is based on each tendon treated, not a bilateral adjustment.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service and does not permit co-surgeon or team-surgery billing.
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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