CPT code 25606: Distal radius fixation, percutaneous skeletal fixation2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports percutaneous skeletal fixation of a distal radius fracture or epiphyseal separation when the surgeon stabilizes the injury with fixation placed through the skin.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 25606 in California.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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What 25606 covers
An orthopedic or hand surgeon uses percutaneous skeletal fixation to stabilize a distal radius fracture or epiphyseal separation, typically after reducing the fracture and placing fixation through the skin rather than exposing the fracture for open treatment. These procedures are commonly performed in an operating room or ambulatory surgery setting. The record should support the distal radius injury and document the reduction and percutaneous fixation performed.
Report this code for the percutaneous fixation service, not closed treatment that uses manipulation without skeletal fixation. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 25606 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | Unavailable | $654.91 |
| Chico, CA | Unavailable | $650.24 |
| El Centro, CA | Unavailable | $650.53 |
| Fresno, CA | Unavailable | $650.24 |
| Hanford, CA | Unavailable | $650.24 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Unavailable | $691.34 |
| Madera, CA | Unavailable | $650.24 |
| Marin County, CA | Unavailable | $765.80 |
| Merced, CA | Unavailable | $650.24 |
| Modesto, CA | Unavailable | $650.24 |
| Napa, CA | Unavailable | $730.96 |
| Oxnard, CA | Unavailable | $685.19 |
| Redding, CA | Unavailable | $650.24 |
| Rest of California | Unavailable | $650.24 |
| Riverside, CA | Unavailable | $668.41 |
| Sacramento, CA | Unavailable | $676.47 |
| Salinas, CA | Unavailable | $673.85 |
| San Benito County, CA | Unavailable | $784.27 |
| San Diego, CA | Unavailable | $685.56 |
| San Francisco, CA | Unavailable | $763.88 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Unavailable | $663.77 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Unavailable | $776.42 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | Unavailable | $688.77 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Unavailable | $675.24 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | Unavailable | $695.29 |
| Stockton, CA | Unavailable | $650.24 |
| Vallejo, CA | Unavailable | $728.19 |
| Visalia, CA | Unavailable | $650.24 |
| Yuba City, CA | Unavailable | $650.24 |
How the 25606 rate is calculated
Each of 25606’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 · 25606
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work8.10
8.10 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense9.42
9.42 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.69
1.69 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
19.2100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$641.63
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 25606
25606 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 25606
Distal radius fixation, percutaneous skeletal fixation
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 25606
Distal radius fixation, percutaneous skeletal fixation
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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
25606 without 50 · national facility
$641.63
Distal radius fixation, percutaneous skeletal fixation
25606-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$962.45
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
25606 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 25605Wrist fracture treatmentWith manipulation
- 25605 describes closed treatment with manipulation and no percutaneous skeletal fixation. Choose 25606 when the surgeon stabilizes the distal radius injury with fixation placed through the skin.
- 25607Distal radius repairExtra-articular, open treatment
- 25607 is for open treatment of an extra-articular distal radius fracture. 25606 describes percutaneous skeletal fixation rather than open treatment.
- 25608Distal radius repairIntra-articular, two fragments
- 25608 describes open treatment of an intra-articular distal radius fracture with two fragments. For 25606, the defining distinction is percutaneous fixation, not this open-treatment fragment-count category.
25606 billing questions
How does 25606 differ from closed treatment with manipulation?
Use 25606 when the distal radius fracture or epiphyseal separation is stabilized with percutaneous skeletal fixation. Closed treatment codes 25600 and 25605 describe treatment without that fixation.
How does 25606 differ from 25607, 25608, and 25609?
Those codes describe open treatment of distal radius fractures. Code 25607 is for an extra-articular fracture, while 25608 and 25609 distinguish intra-articular fractures by fragment count.
What documentation supports reporting 25606?
Document the distal radius fracture or epiphyseal separation and the percutaneous skeletal fixation performed. The operative record should make clear that fixation was placed through the skin.
Can 25606 be reported bilaterally?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure. When performed on both sides, modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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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