Repair Of Hand Joint
What Medicare pays for 26135, what providers bill, and how the price varies across 5 states, drawn from CMS 2023 claims data.
26135 · the short answer
For repair of hand joint, Medicare pays about $371.15 while providers bill $2,963.92 on average, a 8.0× markup, a higher-than-typical markup. State-level Medicare rates range 27% from lowest to highest.
- Medicare pays
- $371.15
- Providers bill
- $2,963.92
- Markup
- 8.0×
- Markup percentile
- 75th
Medicare amounts are CMS-published; markup = average submitted charge ÷ average Medicare payment.
Price Range Across States
What You Might Pay
Estimated using RAND 2024 commercial-to-Medicare ratios. Actual prices vary by insurer, plan, and facility.
How we estimate these prices
These estimates are based on the RAND Hospital Price Transparency Study (4th Edition, 2024), which found that commercial insurance prices average 224% of Medicare rates nationally. We apply category-specific ratios: Musculoskeletal Surgery procedures average 2.24x Medicare rates. Cash/self-pay estimates blend typical cash discounts (55% of billed charges) with Medicare-based estimates (150% of allowed amounts). These are statistical estimates, not quotes. Contact your insurer or provider for actual costs.
Where this markup sits nationally
Markup (billed ÷ Medicare) across 8,901 procedures with a meaningful Medicare rate
8 Among the most affordable more affordable than 75% of 8,901 procedures
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more procedures. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners · 2023
Prices by State
| State | Medicare Payment | Billed Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $393.28 | $2,930.17 |
| New York | $372.91 | $4,345.69 |
| Florida | $370.09 | $4,345.01 |
| California | $362.30 | $2,359.91 |
| Texas | $310.75 | $2,228.35 |
What the Data Says About Repair Of Hand Joint
Across 5 states with reporting providers, CPT code 26135 (Repair Of Hand Joint) shows a national average Medicare payment of $371.15 against an average billed charge of $2,963.92. That gap, a 8.0x markup, or 699% above the Medicare allowed amount, runs well above the median for tracked procedures, a sign the chargemaster rate here is more aspirational than transactional.
Musculoskeletal Surgery procedures like this one saw 535 services billed to Medicare in 2023 by 269 distinct providers, serving 252 unique beneficiaries. State-level variation is significant: Texas reports the lowest average payment at $310.75, while Pennsylvania reports the highest at $393.28. The 27% spread here is a moderate, fairly ordinary GPCI effect, local cost-of-practice adjustments nudging the allowed amount up or down without reshaping it.
Applying RAND 2024 commercial-to-Medicare ratios specific to the Musculoskeletal Surgery category (2.24x), the estimated commercial insurance price lands near $1,044.84, with self-pay cash discounts commonly bringing the figure closer to $1,164.92. Within Musculoskeletal Surgery, Repair Of Hand Joint ranks #789 of 1411 tracked procedures by national average Medicare payment.
What to do with this
If you may have repair of hand joint done, these steps turn the numbers above into a real-world cost estimate.
- Request a Good Faith Estimate from your provider at least 3 business days before a scheduled procedure, under the No Surprises Act it is an enforceable written price.
- Compare repair of hand joint costs in your state, Medicare rates vary by locality. Browse states
- Check a hospital’s published cash price, which is often far below the billed charge. Price transparency
- Understand why billed charges run several times the Medicare rate before you negotiate. Read the guide
Figures here are averages and estimates, not a quote. Confirm coverage and out-of-pocket costs with your insurer and provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Repair Of Hand Joint cost?
Repair Of Hand Joint (CPT 26135) is priced fairly consistently nationwide: Medicare pays $371.15 on average, and the $310.75-$393.28 state range stays relatively tight. Providers typically bill $2,963.92.
Why do providers charge more than Medicare pays?
Providers set their own chargemaster rates (billed charges), which are typically much higher than what any insurer pays. Medicare pays a fixed rate based on the procedure code and geographic location. The billed charge is relevant mainly for uninsured patients, who may face prices closer to the submitted charge.
How much does Repair Of Hand Joint cost with insurance?
With commercial insurance, repair of hand joint costs an estimated $1,044.84 on average (range: $731.39-$1,462.78), a moderate premium over Medicare's $371.15. Without insurance, the estimated cash price is $1,164.92.
Which state has the lowest cost for Repair Of Hand Joint?
Texas and Pennsylvania bookend the range for Repair Of Hand Joint, at $310.75 and $393.28 respectively - a relatively tight $82.53 spread nationwide.
How many providers perform Repair Of Hand Joint?
Repair Of Hand Joint is comparatively uncommon: only 269 providers nationally billed Medicare for it in 2023, serving 252 beneficiaries via 535 total services.
What is the billed-to-Medicare markup for Repair Of Hand Joint?
Providers bill 8.0x what Medicare pays for Repair Of Hand Joint - a higher-than-typical markup at 699% above the Medicare rate.
Related Guides
Tips to reduce out-of-pocket costs
Your right to upfront pricing
How Medicare payments work
Decode charges and codes
Why bills exceed actual costs
Geographic pricing factors
Data from CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners (2023).
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Every figure on PlainProcedure is rendered directly from CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.