CPT code 26556: Toe joint transfer, toe joint to hand2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports microsurgical transfer of a toe joint to the hand when reconstruction requires a vascularized joint rather than transfer of an entire toe.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26556 in Missouri.
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 26556 covers
This procedure moves a toe joint to the hand to reconstruct a finger or other hand joint, using microsurgical vascular anastomosis to establish blood supply. A hand or microsurgery specialist may perform it for selected reconstructive needs, such as joint loss after trauma or a congenital difference. The operation involves the donor toe joint and the recipient hand site; it is distinct from transferring a whole toe or toes.
Select the code when the operative report supports transfer of the joint itself, not merely a toe-digit transfer or local joint reconstruction. Document the donor and recipient sites, the reconstructive purpose, and the microsurgical work. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 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. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery 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 26556 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | Unavailable | $3,004.02 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | Unavailable | $3,027.15 |
| Rest of Missouri | Unavailable | $2,917.26 |
How the 26556 rate is calculated
Each of 26556’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 · 26556
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work48.51
48.51 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense33.33
33.33 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice10.37
10.37 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
92.2100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$3,079.90
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26556
26556 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26556
Toe joint transfer, toe joint to hand
| 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 26556
Toe joint transfer, toe joint to hand
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
26556 without 51 · national facility
$3,079.90
Toe joint transfer, toe joint to hand
26556-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,539.95
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%).
26556 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 26551Toe-to-hand transferGreat toe
- 26551 describes transfer of a great toe to the hand. Choose 26556 when the transferred structure is a toe joint, not the whole toe.
- 26553Toe-hand transferSingle toe
- 26553 describes a single toe transfer to the hand. 26556 represents transfer of a toe joint for hand reconstruction.
- 26554Toe-to-hand transferDouble transfer
- 26554 describes transfer of two toes to the hand. 26556 is selected for toe-joint transfer rather than a double-toe transfer.
26556 billing questions
How is this different from a whole-toe transfer code?
Use 26556 when the transferred structure is a toe joint for hand reconstruction. Codes 26551, 26553, and 26554 describe transfer of toe digit tissue rather than an isolated toe joint.
What operative details support reporting 26556?
The record should identify the toe joint moved to the hand, the donor and recipient sites, the reconstructive indication, and the microsurgical vascular work.
Is the preoperative visit or routine postoperative care separately included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral toe joint transfers?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; its descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 unsuitable.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, while team surgery is not permitted.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are reduced to 50%.
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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