CPT code 26541: Ligament repair2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Virginia
Reports repair of a hand metacarpophalangeal or interphalangeal joint collateral ligament using a tendon graft for ligament deficiency or instability.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26541 in Virginia.
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 26541 covers
This operation repairs a collateral ligament at a metacarpophalangeal or interphalangeal joint of the hand using a tendon graft. A hand or orthopedic surgeon may perform it when the ligament is too damaged or deficient for a direct repair, such as in a chronically unstable finger joint. It is typically performed in an operating room, often in a facility setting.
Report the code when the operative report supports collateral ligament repair with a tendon graft, rather than a repair without a graft or a different joint reconstruction. Documentation should identify the digit, joint, ligament, instability or deficiency, and graft use. The 90-day global period includes 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 the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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.
Where 26541 pays more and less in Virginia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Unavailable | $902.79 |
| Virginia | Unavailable | $775.64 |
How the 26541 rate is calculated
Each of 26541’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 · 26541
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work8.59
8.59 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense13.70
13.70 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.65
1.65 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
23.9400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$799.62
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26541
26541 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26541
Ligament repair
| 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) | 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 · 26541
Ligament repair
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
26541 without 51 · national facility
$799.62
Ligament repair
26541-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$399.81
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%).
26541 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 26540Ligament repair
- Choose 26540 for collateral ligament repair without a tendon graft; choose 26541 when the repair uses a tendon graft.
- 26545Finger joint reconstruction
- 26545 describes collateral ligament reconstruction with a tendon graft at the metacarpophalangeal joint. Distinguish it from this repair code by the documented procedure and joint.
- 26548Finger joint reconstruction
- 26548 describes collateral ligament reconstruction with a tendon graft at an interphalangeal joint. Use the code matching the documented reconstruction rather than a graft-based repair.
26541 billing questions
How does this differ from 26540?
This code is for collateral ligament repair using a tendon graft. Use 26540 for a collateral ligament repair without a tendon graft.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the affected digit and joint, the collateral ligament pathology, why graft repair was performed, and the tendon graft used.
Can modifier 50 be appended for treatment of both hands?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
Is related postoperative care separately reported during the global period?
The 90-day global period includes related postoperative care and the preoperative visit on the day before surgery.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; 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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