Billing code 26130: Wrist synovectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Surgical removal of inflamed synovial tissue from the wrist joint, reported for persistent proliferative synovitis such as disease-related wrist inflammation.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26130 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 26130 covers
This operation removes diseased or overgrown synovial tissue from the wrist joint. It is commonly performed by an orthopedic or hand surgeon for persistent synovitis, including wrist inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis. The target is the joint lining, not a tendon sheath or a discrete skin, soft-tissue, or bone mass. It is generally performed in an operating-room setting when ongoing joint inflammation warrants surgical treatment.
Report the service when the operative documentation supports removal of wrist-joint synovium, with the affected side, indication, and extent of treatment stated. A sample taken only to establish a diagnosis is a different service from therapeutic synovium removal. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted; 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.
26130 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $440.36 |
How the 26130 rate is calculated
Each of 26130’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 · 26130
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 5.45Practice expense 7.11Malpractice 1.17
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26130
26130 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26130
Wrist synovectomy
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| 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 · 26130
Wrist synovectomy
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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
26130 without 50 · national facility
$458.59
Wrist synovectomy
26130-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$687.89
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
26130 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
26130 vs 26100 vs 26145 vs 26160: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 26100Joint biopsy
- 26100 is for sampling hand-joint lining for diagnosis. Choose 26130 when the surgeon removes wrist synovium therapeutically.
- 26145Tenosynovectomy
- 26145 addresses flexor tendon-sheath disease in the palm or finger; 26130 targets the wrist joint lining.
- 26160Tendon sheath excision
- 26160 is for excision of a discrete tendon-sheath or joint-capsule lesion. 26130 is for synovial tissue removal from the wrist joint.
26130 billing questions
When is 26130 appropriate instead of a joint biopsy code?
Use 26130 when the surgeon removes wrist-joint synovium as treatment. A procedure limited to obtaining tissue for diagnosis is represented by a biopsy service, such as 26100 for a hand joint.
Does this code describe tendon-sheath synovium?
No. It describes synovial tissue in the wrist joint. For flexor tendon-sheath work in the palm or finger, consider 26145 when its requirements are met.
How should bilateral wrist procedures be reported?
When the service is performed on both wrists, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
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 surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
CMS applies a statutory restriction to assistant-at-surgery payment for this service. 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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