Billing code 26477: Tendon shorteningMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Reports surgical shortening of a hand or finger tendon, counted for each tendon treated to correct excessive length or tendon imbalance.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26477 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 26477 covers
billing code 26477 describes an operation that reduces the effective length of a hand or finger tendon and secures it at the corrected length. A hand, orthopedic, or plastic surgeon may perform it in an operating room when tendon length or tension needs correction to improve position or function. The operative report should identify the tendon and site and describe the shortening performed and the clinical problem being treated.
Report the service for each tendon shortened, with documentation supporting the number of tendons treated. The code has 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 others at 50%. Do not use modifier 50 for bilateral adjustment. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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.
26477 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $586.09 |
How the 26477 rate is calculated
Each of 26477’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 · 26477
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 5.19Practice expense 12.20Malpractice 0.99
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26477
26477 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26477
Tendon shortening
| 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) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 26477
Tendon shortening
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
26477 without 51 · national facility
$613.91
Tendon shortening
26477-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$306.96
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%).
26477 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
26477 vs 26476 vs 26478 vs 26479 vs 26437: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 26476Tendon lengthening
- 26477 is for shortening a tendon; 26476 is for lengthening one. The operative report should establish which change in tendon length was performed.
- 26478Tendon lengthening
- 26478 describes hand-tendon lengthening. Choose 26477 when the tendon is shortened instead.
- 26479Tendon shortening
- Both codes concern tendon shortening in the hand region. Check the full code descriptors and operative details to determine which anatomical and service distinction applies.
- 26437Tendon realignment
- 26437 addresses tendon realignment. Use 26477 when the documented operation shortens the tendon rather than realigning it.
26477 billing questions
How is 26477 different from tendon lengthening?
Use 26477 when the operation shortens the tendon. Tendon lengthening is a different service; select the code that matches the direction of the tendon-length change documented in the operative report.
How many units should be reported?
The code is reported for each tendon shortened. The operative report should identify each tendon treated.
Does 26477 include related postoperative visits?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can modifier 50 be used when both hands are treated?
No. CMS lists bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 should not be used for bilateral reporting.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are paid at 50%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery is not paid for this service. Co-surgeons are paid only when supporting documentation is provided; team surgery is 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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