Carpal Tunnel Release price: Medicare anchor and facility lever
Anchor for Carpal Tunnel Release - CPT 64721
$437.89
Nonfacility PFS $495.26; facility professional PFS $437.89.
Hospital OPPS facility anchor, this code billed alone: $1,995.02 (APC 5431, Level 1 Nerve Procedures; national unadjusted, before wage-index adjustment).
Open carpal tunnel release, CPT 64721, is a surgical code with a 90-day global period, which means routine follow-up visits in that window are part of the surgeon's fee. The bigger price question is the building: a hospital, a surgery center, or an office procedure room.
CPT code
64721
Neuroplasty and/or transposition; median nerve at carpal tunnel
CPT 64721 is open carpal tunnel release. An endoscopic approach uses a different code (29848). Confirm the approach on the surgical plan before you compare quotes.
The codes this visit can be billed under
| CPT | PFS office or global | PFS facility (professional) | Global period | Hospital single-service APC | Minimum Medicare copay at hospital |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64721 (this page) | $495.26 | $437.89 | 90 days | $1,995.02 (APC 5431) | $399.01 |
The CMS CY2026 fee schedule lists a 090 global period for 64721, so the surgeon's anchor of $437.89 in a facility (or $495.26 in an office) covers related post-operative visits for 90 days. A separate visit charge for routine follow-up in that window is worth questioning.
In a hospital, 64721 maps to APC 5431 at $1,995.02, with a minimum unadjusted copayment of $399.01. That facility amount is several times the surgeon's anchor, which is why the setting comparison dominates this procedure's price.
The professional anchor for 64721 changes relatively little with the setting: $495.26 in an office and $437.89 in a facility. That is unusual among the procedures on this site and means the surgeon's fee is not where the setting lever sits. The lever is the facility layer: a hospital APC of $1,995.02, a surgery center fee under the ASC system, or no separate facility bill in an office procedure room.
CMS Addendum B lists 64721 with status indicator J1 at APC 5431, the payment group that sets the hospital facility amount above.
Inside and outside the 64721 anchor
Covered by the anchor
- Surgeon professional fee for the release (PFS anchor below)
- Standard operating or procedure room use inside the facility payment
Billed outside it
- Anesthesia billed separately
- Pre-operative visits and post-operative visits outside the global period rules
- Therapy after the procedure when billed separately
- The other hand billed as a second procedure
Why prices vary for CPT 64721
The professional fee barely changes between office and facility settings for this code, so nearly all of the price difference sits in the facility layer: hospital comprehensive APC, ASC facility fee at a lower rate, or no separate facility bill in an office. Compare the all-in price by setting, not the surgeon fee alone.
Ask whether the release will be done in a hospital outpatient department, an ASC, or an office procedure room, and get the facility fee and professional fee as separate written lines.
Questions specific to Carpal tunnel release
- Is the approach open (64721) or endoscopic, which uses a different code?
- Is the procedure planned in a hospital, a surgery center, or an office room?
- Does the quote include anesthesia, and what type is expected?
- Are follow-up visits within 90 days included in the surgeon's fee?
- If the procedure is done in an office room, is there any separate facility or supply charge?
Carpal Tunnel Release: billing questions
Are follow-up visits after carpal tunnel surgery billed separately?
Routine related visits within the 90-day global period are included in the surgeon's payment under the Medicare fee schedule. Ask the office how it bills follow-up in that window.
Why is the hospital facility anchor so much higher than the surgeon's fee?
In CY2026 the hospital is paid an APC for 64721 that covers the operating room, staff, and supplies. That facility amount is several times the surgeon's professional anchor.
Does an endoscopic carpal tunnel release use the same code?
No. The endoscopic approach uses a different code with its own anchor. Confirm the approach on the surgical plan before comparing quotes.
What does a Medicare patient pay a hospital for carpal tunnel release?
In the CY2026 OPPS Addendum B, 64721 maps to APC 5431 with a minimum unadjusted copayment of $399.01, before wage-index adjustment. Medicare.gov says a single outpatient service copayment cannot exceed the inpatient deductible. The surgeon's coinsurance is separate.