Billing code 26415: Tendon excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports operative removal of a hand or finger tendon when the treatment plan calls for excision rather than repair, reconstruction, or release.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26415 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 26415 covers
A hand surgeon, orthopedic surgeon, or plastic surgeon uses this service to remove a tendon from the hand or a finger. The operative report should identify the tendon and describe the condition and extent of tissue removed. This is a facility-based surgical service in Medicare claims data; it is distinct from freeing a tendon from adhesions or restoring continuity of a tendon that is being preserved.
Select the code when the operative work is tendon removal, not repair, grafting, or release. Documentation should connect the excision to the clinical problem and distinguish any separately performed reconstruction. The service has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented 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.
Where 26415 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 | $856.05 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $784.42 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $818.16 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $825.51 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $821.30 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $821.98 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $854.19 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $802.29 |
How the 26415 rate is calculated
Each of 26415’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 · 26415
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 8.30Practice expense 14.89Malpractice 1.76
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26415
26415 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26415
Tendon excision
| 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 · 26415
Tendon excision
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
26415 without 51 · national facility
$833.35
Tendon excision
26415-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$416.68
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%).
26415 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
26415 vs 26410 vs 26412 vs 26416 vs 26440: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 26410Hand tendon repair
- Choose 26410 when the hand tendon is repaired. Choose 26415 when the operative service removes the tendon instead of restoring it.
- 26412Tendon repair
- 26412 describes hand tendon repair with grafting. This code represents tendon removal; report graft reconstruction only when that work is performed and documented.
- 26416Tendon graft
- 26416 describes tendon grafting in the hand or finger. It addresses replacement tissue, while 26415 describes removal of the tendon.
- 26440Flexor tenolysis
- 26440 describes releasing a tendon in the palm or finger. Use 26415 for removal, not for freeing a tendon from restriction.
26415 billing questions
How is excision different from tendon repair?
Report excision when the operative work removes the tendon. Repair codes describe restoring or reconstructing a tendon rather than removing it.
Is freeing a tendon from adhesions included?
Freeing a tendon is a release procedure, not tendon excision. Choose the code that matches the work documented in the operative report.
What documentation supports this service?
Document the hand or finger tendon involved, why it was removed, and the extent of the excision. Describe separately any repair or graft reconstruction performed.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. The descriptor or anatomy makes a bilateral adjustment inappropriate for this code.
How are multiple procedures paid in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity.
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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