CPT code 26535: Finger joint surgery, without prosthetic implant2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Louisiana
Reports arthroplasty of a finger interphalangeal joint without a prosthetic implant, commonly for painful joint damage or deformity.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26535 in Louisiana.
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 26535 covers
This operation reshapes or removes damaged surfaces at a finger interphalangeal joint to improve pain and function without placing a prosthetic implant. Hand surgeons typically perform it for a painful, stiff or deformed joint affected by arthritis or prior injury. The operative report should identify the specific finger joint and describe the joint work performed; this code is distinct from arthroplasty of a knuckle joint at the metacarpophalangeal level and from implant arthroplasty.
Report the service for each treated interphalangeal joint, supported by documentation of the joint and the nonimplant procedure. CMS 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% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing 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 26535 pays more and less in Louisiana
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | Unavailable | $411.98 |
| Rest of Louisiana | Unavailable | $394.25 |
How the 26535 rate is calculated
Each of 26535’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 · 26535
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work5.27
5.27 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.30
6.30 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.00
1.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
12.5700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$419.85
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26535
26535 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26535
Finger joint surgery, without prosthetic implant
| 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) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| 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 · 26535
Finger joint surgery, without prosthetic implant
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 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
26535 without 51 · national facility
$419.85
Finger joint surgery, without prosthetic implant
26535-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$209.93
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
26535 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 26536Finger joint arthroplastyWith prosthetic implant
- Both codes concern interphalangeal joint arthroplasty. Choose 26536 when a prosthetic implant is placed; 26535 represents the nonimplant procedure.
- 26530Knuckle arthroplastyMetacarpophalangeal joint, no implant
- This code is for arthroplasty at a metacarpophalangeal joint, the knuckle. Code 26535 concerns an interphalangeal joint.
- 26531Knuckle arthroplastyWith implant
- Code 26531 describes metacarpophalangeal arthroplasty with an implant. Code 26535 is for an interphalangeal joint without a prosthetic implant.
- 26525Contracture releaseFinger interphalangeal joint
- Use 26525 for release of a finger contracture when the documented work is contracture release. Code 26535 describes arthroplasty of the interphalangeal joint.
26535 billing questions
How is this different from 26536?
26535 describes interphalangeal joint arthroplasty without a prosthetic implant. Use 26536 when the operative service includes a prosthetic implant.
How does this differ from 26530 or 26531?
Those codes describe arthroplasty at a metacarpophalangeal, or knuckle, joint. Code 26535 is for an interphalangeal joint farther along the finger.
How many units should be reported?
The code is reported for each treated interphalangeal joint. The operative note should identify each joint and the procedure performed there.
Can modifier 50 be used when both hands are treated?
CMS identifies modifier 50 as inappropriate for this code’s descriptor and anatomy.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be billed?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service. Co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are not permitted.
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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