No office rate
This code is for an open flexor tendon tenotomy in a finger. Code 26450 is used for the palm site.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
26455 Tendon incision Medicare reimbursement rates in Virginia
Reports open division of a finger flexor tendon when a hand surgeon intentionally releases the tendon to address a documented finger deformity or contracture. Compare 26455 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Virginia.
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 26455 in Virginia?
Virginia has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$446.83–$523.92
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
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 26455: Open finger flexor tendon tenotomy
Reports open division of a finger flexor tendon when a hand surgeon intentionally releases the tendon to address a documented finger deformity or contracture.
This operation intentionally divides a flexor tendon in a finger to change tendon pull, such as when a tendon-related contracture or deformity limits finger position. An orthopedic or hand surgeon typically performs it in an operating room, with the operative report identifying the finger, tendon, approach, and reason for division. It is a tendon procedure, not the tendon-sheath incision commonly performed for trigger finger, and not freeing a tendon from adhesions.
Select the code when the documented work is open tenotomy of a finger flexor tendon; distinguish it from procedures on the palm or extensor tendons. The note should establish the clinical problem and describe the tendon actually divided. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Report by the documented site rather than appending modifier 50. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeon and team-surgery payment are unavailable.
CMS billing rules for 26455
- 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 is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU3.67 · 27%
- Practice expense (office) RVU9.38 · 68%
- Malpractice RVU0.69 · 5%
457
Medicare services in 2024 · #3642 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.
26455 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Virginia, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
This code concerns a finger flexor tendon; 26460 concerns an extensor tendon of the hand or finger.
$615.26–$727.87
Use 26055 for trigger finger release involving the tendon sheath. Use 26455 when the documented procedure divides the finger tendon itself.
No office rate
Code 26440 describes freeing a flexor tendon from adhesions. It is not the code for intentional division of the tendon.
Compare 26455 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Dc + Md/Va Suburbs →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$523.92
Virginia →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$446.83
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26455 billing questions
How is this different from trigger finger release?
This code represents division of a finger flexor tendon. Trigger finger release incises the tendon sheath, so report the code that matches the structure actually treated.
How does this differ from tenolysis?
Tenotomy intentionally divides a tendon; tenolysis frees a tendon from adhesions to improve its glide. The operative report should support the procedure performed.
Should modifier 50 be used when both hands are treated?
No. CMS treats modifier 50 as inappropriate for this code. Document the side and finger treated for each service.
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?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. CMS does not permit co-surgeon or team-surgery payment for this code.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid 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.
2,59926445,,Release hand/finger tendon,A,,4.34,12.94,NA,12.94,,0.83,18.11,18.11,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,60026449,,Release forearm/hand tendon,A,,8.38,9.84,NA,9.84,,1.56,19.78,19.78,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,60126450,,Incision of palm tendon,A,,3.70,9.35,NA,9.35,,0.69,13.74,13.74,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,60226455,,Incision of finger tendon,A,,3.67,9.38,NA,9.38,,0.69,13.74,13.74,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,60326460,,Incise hand/finger tendon,A,,3.49,9.29,NA,9.29,,0.65,13.43,13.43,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,60426471,,Fusion of finger tendons,A,,5.75,12.45,NA,12.45,,1.07,19.27,19.27,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,60526474,,Fusion of finger tendons,A,,5.35,13.12,NA,13.12,,1.14,19.61,19.61,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00