CPT code 26035: Hand decompression2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Operative fasciotomy of the hand or finger relieves dangerous compartment pressure, including pressure involving intrinsic hand muscles, typically after trauma.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26035 in Utah.
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 26035 covers
This operation releases tight fascial compartments in the hand or a finger to relieve pressure and protect muscle and other tissues. It is typically performed by an orthopedic, plastic, or hand surgeon in an operating room for acute compartment syndrome, such as after a crush injury or severe hand trauma. The operative report should identify the affected anatomy and describe the decompression performed; this is distinct from opening a tendon sheath to drain infection or releasing a tendon for triggering.
Report the code for the hand or finger fasciotomy with intrinsic-muscle decompression, supported by the operative findings and procedure details. CMS assigns a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care 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 multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery is payable only when medical necessity is documented; 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.
26035 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $785.31 |
How the 26035 rate is calculated
Each of 26035’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 · 26035
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work11.09
11.09 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense10.96
10.96 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.36
2.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
24.4100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$815.32
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26035
26035 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26035
Hand decompression
| 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 · 26035
Hand decompression
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
26035 without 51 · national facility
$815.32
Hand decompression
26035-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$407.66
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%).
26035 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 26037Hand decompression
- Both concern hand or finger decompression. Select based on the operative approach and the specific work described in the applicable descriptor.
- 25020Forearm fasciotomy
- This code concerns fasciotomy of the forearm or wrist. Use 26035 when the decompression is performed in the hand or finger.
- 26020Tendon sheath drainage
- 26020 is for drainage of an infected hand tendon sheath. It does not represent fasciotomy to relieve compartment pressure.
26035 billing questions
When should this code be chosen instead of 26037?
Both codes describe hand or finger decompression procedures. Compare the operative work with the applicable code descriptors, especially whether the multiple-incision approach specified by 26037 was performed.
Can modifier 50 be reported for both hands?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inapplicable to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
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?
Only when the medical necessity of the assistant is documented. CMS does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery for this code.
How does CMS handle another procedure performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures performed in that session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
Does this code describe drainage of an infected tendon sheath?
No. It describes pressure-relieving fasciotomy of the hand or finger; tendon-sheath drainage is a different service, such as the one described by 26020.
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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