No office rate
Use 26498 for transfer of a finger flexor tendon and 26497 for transfer of a finger extensor tendon.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
26498 Tendon transfer Medicare reimbursement rates in Vermont
Reports surgical transfer of a finger flexor tendon to restore or rebalance finger motion when a functioning donor tendon is used. Compare 26498 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Vermont.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 26498 in Vermont?
Vermont has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$1065.67
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Vermont
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Hand surgery
About 26498: Finger flexor tendon transfer
Reports surgical transfer of a finger flexor tendon to restore or rebalance finger motion when a functioning donor tendon is used.
A hand surgeon reroutes and attaches a functioning flexor tendon to a finger tendon or insertion to restore or rebalance active finger motion. The procedure may be considered when injury, nerve dysfunction, or paralysis has impaired finger flexion and tendon transfer is part of the reconstructive plan. It is generally performed in an operating room by an orthopedic or plastic surgeon with hand-surgery expertise.
Choose this code when the operative work is a transfer of a flexor tendon to a finger; distinguish it from an extensor tendon transfer and from procedures that lengthen, release, or realign a tendon. The operative report should identify the donor tendon, recipient site, finger, indication, and transfer performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 26498
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU13.85 · 41%
- Practice expense (office) RVU16.73 · 50%
- Malpractice RVU2.95 · 9%
68
Medicare services in 2024 · #5161 by national volume
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.
26498 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Vermont, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
26492 describes a tendon transfer with a graft. Choose based on the operation performed and whether grafting is part of the reconstruction.
No office rate
26494 covers a hand tendon or muscle transfer with a different scope; 26498 is specific to transfer of a finger flexor tendon.
No office rate
26480 concerns tendon transfer or transplant in the carpometacarpal area or dorsum of the hand, rather than a finger flexor transfer.
Compare 26498 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Vermont →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1065.67
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 26498 in Vermont.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
2,619
- Code
- 26498
- Physician work
- 13.85
- Practice expense
- 16.73
- Malpractice
- 2.95
GPCI2026.csv
105
- Locality
- Vermont
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.990
- Malpractice
- 0.506
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 13.85 | × 1.000 | 13.8500 |
| Practice expense | 16.73 | × 0.990 | 16.5627 |
| Malpractice | 2.95 | × 0.506 | 1.4927 |
| Total RVUs | 31.9054 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Vermont$1065.67
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 13.85 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 16.73 | 0.99 |
| Malpractice | 2.95 | 0.506 |
(13.85 × 1 + 16.73 × 0.99 + 2.95 × 0.506) × $33.4009 = $1065.67
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
26498 billing questions
How does 26498 differ from 26497?
26498 is for a flexor tendon transfer to a finger; 26497 is the corresponding extensor tendon transfer. The operative report should establish which tendon function was transferred.
Is modifier 50 appropriate when both hands are treated?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code. Report the documented services according to the applicable coding instructions rather than appending modifier 50.
What should the operative report document?
Document the indication, donor tendon, recipient site, finger treated, and the transfer actually performed. These details distinguish a transfer from tendon release, lengthening, or realignment.
Is postoperative care included?
Yes. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
How are multiple procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction, with payment at 50%.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
2,61626494,,Hand tendon/muscle transfer,A,,8.44,14.44,NA,14.44,,1.79,24.67,24.67,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,61726496,,Revise thumb tendon,A,,9.54,14.79,NA,14.79,,2.04,26.37,26.37,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,61826497,,Finger tendon transfer,A,,9.52,14.78,NA,14.78,,2.04,26.34,26.34,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,61926498,,Finger tendon transfer,A,,13.85,16.73,NA,16.73,,2.95,33.53,33.53,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,62026499,,Correction claw finger other,A,,8.94,14.61,NA,14.61,,1.91,25.46,25.46,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,62126500,,Hand tendon reconstruction,A,,5.98,13.31,NA,13.31,,1.28,20.57,20.57,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,62226502,,Hand tendon reconstruction,A,,7.13,13.68,NA,13.68,,1.50,22.31,22.31,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
10204412,TX,18,HOUSTON,1.008,0.993,1.376
10304412,TX,99,REST OF TEXAS,1.000,0.949,0.903
10403502,UT,09,UTAH,1.000,0.940,0.898
10514512,VT,50,VERMONT,1.000,0.990,0.506
10611302,VA,00,VIRGINIA,1.000,0.983,0.706
10709202,VI,50,VIRGIN ISLANDS,1.000,1.011,0.985
10802402,WA,02,SEATTLE (KING CNTY),1.050,1.227,0.817