CPT code 26516: Knuckle fusion, metacarpophalangeal joint2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Connecticut

In Connecticut, Medicare pays $765.19 for 26516 in a facility. There’s no office rate.

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 26516 nationwide

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

What 26516 covers

The surgeon removes or prepares the opposing joint surfaces and positions the bones for permanent fusion, using fixation when needed. This operation may be performed by a hand or orthopedic surgeon for a painful, unstable, or severely damaged metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint. The MCP joint is where a finger or thumb meets the hand; the operative report should identify the joint and document the reason for fusion and work performed.

Report 26516 for the MCP fusion itself, whether or not internal fixation is used. 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 other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery is paid only when medical necessity is documented; 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.

How Connecticut compares for 26516

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 26516 runs from $634.18 in Arkansas to $913.93 in San Benito County, CA. Connecticut pays $765.19. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

Every other payment area

26516 rates by state

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

See 26516 in every payment locality

How the 26516 rate is calculated

Each of 26516’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 26516

26516 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

Codes related to 26516

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

How 26516 has changed in Connecticut

Price 26516 for an earlier date of service

Where the Connecticut rate applies

Connecticut is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 215 cities and communities in Connecticut. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

• Ansonia
• Ball Pond
• Baltic
• Bantam
• Bethel
• Bethlehem Village
• Bigelow Corners
• Blue Hills

Browse all communities in Connecticut

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