CPT code 25820: Wrist fusion, limited, no bone graft2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $615.24 for 25820 nationally in a facility.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 25820 covers

An orthopedic or hand surgeon performs a limited wrist arthrodesis by joining selected wrist bones while leaving other wrist joints unfused. The procedure may be used for painful wrist arthritis, post-traumatic damage, or instability when the treatment plan calls for a partial rather than complete wrist fusion. This code describes the limited fusion performed without bone graft; the operative report should identify the bones fused and the extent of the arthrodesis.

Report the code when the surgeon performs that limited fusion and does not use bone graft. Documentation should support the involved joints, the reason for fusion, and the graft status. Medicare 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% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team-surgery billing 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 25820 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

25820 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

How the 25820 rate is calculated

Each of 25820’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 25820

25820 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 50

25820 compared with similar codes

How to choose

25800Wrist fusionComplete, without graft

Use 25800 for complete wrist fusion without graft. Use 25820 when the surgeon fuses only selected wrist joints.

25805Wrist fusionSliding bone graft

Use 25805 when the wrist fusion includes a sliding bone graft; 25820 describes a limited fusion without graft.

25810Wrist fusionComplete, with autograft

Use 25810 when iliac or another autograft is used for the wrist arthrodesis. This code is for limited fusion without bone graft.

25825Wrist fusionLimited, with autograft

Use 25825 when autograft is used for wrist arthrodesis. Use 25820 when the documented limited fusion is performed without graft.

Codes related to 25820

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates