Billing code 27394: Tendon lengtheningMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Surgical lengthening of multiple thigh tendons, commonly hamstrings, is reported when several tendons are treated to improve a contracture or restricted motion.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27394 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 27394 covers
This operation lengthens multiple thigh tendons to reduce excessive tension and improve joint motion. It is commonly performed by an orthopedic surgeon, including a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, for conditions such as hamstring tightness associated with knee flexion contracture or spasticity. The procedure is generally performed in a hospital operating room or ambulatory surgery setting. The operative report should identify the tendons treated and the lengthening performed.
Select this code for multiple tendons; the single-tendon service is the key neighboring distinction. Document the clinical problem, treated tendons, side or sides, and operative work so the record supports the multiple-tendon service. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When other 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 may be paid; 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.
27394 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $596.72 |
How the 27394 rate is calculated
Each of 27394’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 · 27394
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 8.57Practice expense 8.15Malpractice 1.82
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27394
27394 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27394
Tendon lengthening
| 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| 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 · 27394
Tendon lengthening
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
27394 without 51 · national facility
$619.25
Tendon lengthening
27394-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$309.63
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%).
27394 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
27394 vs 27393 vs 27395 vs 27396 vs 27397: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 27393Tendon lengthening
- 27393 is for lengthening a single thigh tendon. This code is for lengthening multiple tendons.
- 27395Tendon lengthening
- Both are in the thigh-tendon lengthening code range, but the exact procedure and descriptor must support the selected code. Do not choose solely by the general term “lengthening.”
- 27396Tendon transfer
- 27396 describes tendon transfer or transplantation, which changes tendon routing or attachment; 27394 describes lengthening multiple tendons.
- 27397Tendon transfer
- 27397 describes transfer or transplantation of multiple tendons, not surgical lengthening of multiple tendons.
27394 billing questions
How does this code differ from 27393?
27393 describes lengthening a single thigh tendon. Use 27394 when multiple tendons are lengthened, with the operative report identifying the tendons treated.
What documentation supports reporting multiple tendon lengthening?
Document the contracture or motion problem, the tendons treated, and the lengthening work performed. The record should make clear that more than one tendon was treated.
Should modifier 50 be appended when both legs are treated?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inapplicable to this code and modifier 50 as inappropriate.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. CMS does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery for this code.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Under the standard multiple-procedure rule, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to a 50% reduction.
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
Fee sheets
Put 27394 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →