CPT code 26843: Hand joint fusion, carpometacarpal, not thumb2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in West Virginia

Fusion of a carpometacarpal joint in the hand other than the thumb, reported when the surgeon permanently joins that joint.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026One payment locality25 Medicare services in 2024

In West Virginia, Medicare pays $732.36 for 26843 in a facility. There’s no office rate.

Not available in this settingOffice (non-facility)
$732.36Hospital or facility

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 26843 nationwide

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

We’ll open 26843 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 11 sections
  1. Rate in West Virginia
  2. What 26843 covers
  3. Compared with other areas
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Related codes
  8. Rate history
  9. Where it applies
  10. Billing questions
  11. Sources

What 26843 covers

An orthopedic or hand surgeon uses this service to fuse a carpometacarpal joint other than the thumb’s. The surgeon prepares the joint surfaces and stabilizes them to promote bony union. Typical situations include a painful, arthritic or unstable joint at the base of a finger metacarpal. The procedure is generally performed in an operating room; fixation may be used. This code is for the fusion without autogenous bone grafting.

Select the code based on the joint fused: this code identifies a nonthumb carpometacarpal joint, while 26844 is the graft counterpart. Document the specific joint, the reason for fusion, and the operative work supporting arthrodesis. 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. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require 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.

How West Virginia compares for 26843

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 26843 runs from $678.18 in Arkansas to $976.51 in San Benito County, CA. West Virginia pays $732.36. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

26843 in West Virginia vs other payment areas
  1. West Virginia · this page$732.36
  2. Los Angeles, CA · California$846.30+$113.94
  3. Washington, DC area · District of Columbia$871.59+$139.23
  4. Miami, FL · Florida$871.23+$138.87
  5. Chicago, IL · Illinois$843.71+$111.35
  6. Manhattan, NY · New York$892.32+$159.96
  7. Alaska · Alaska$902.04+$169.68

Other areas in West Virginia first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.

Every other payment area

26843 in every other Medicare payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaAlabama—$688.33
ArkansasArkansas—$678.18
ArizonaArizona—$747.45
Bakersfield, CACalifornia—$797.56
Chico, CACalifornia—$793.11
El Centro, CACalifornia—$793.38
Fresno, CACalifornia—$793.11
Hanford, CACalifornia—$793.11

26843 rates by state

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

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
26843 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

See 26843 in every payment locality

How the 26843 rate is calculated

Each of 26843’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 · 26843

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work7.59

7.59 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense13.83

13.83 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.62

1.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

23.0400

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$769.56

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

The exact West Virginia inputs and CMS source lines

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

2,694

Code
26843
Physician work
7.59
Practice expense
13.83
Malpractice
1.62

GPCI2026.csv

110

Locality
West Virginia
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
0.869
Malpractice
1.431
Facility calculation for 26843 in West Virginia
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work7.59× 1.0007.5900
Practice expense13.83× 0.86912.0183
Malpractice1.62× 1.4312.3182
Total RVUs21.9265
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Facility rate, West Virginia$732.36

Facility: (7.59 × 1 + 13.83 × 0.869 + 1.62 × 1.431) × $33.4009 = $732.36

Open 26843 in the RVU calculator

Payment rules and modifiers for 26843

26843 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 26843

Hand joint fusion, carpometacarpal, not thumb

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.69/0.21Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 26843

Hand joint fusion, carpometacarpal, not thumb

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

26843 without 51 · national facility

$769.56

Hand joint fusion, carpometacarpal, not thumb

26843-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$384.78

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%).

When to use modifier 51

How 26843 has changed in West Virginia

26843 · Office / nonfacility

Rate unavailable

Effective 2026-10-01

A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.

Base rate by release · bars start at $0 · select a bar to compare

One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.

What changed, release by release
Rates in every CMS release
Effective fromOfficeFacilityCMS release
2026-10-01Not available in this setting$732.36RVU26D
2026-07-01Not available in this setting$732.36RVU26C
2026-04-01Not available in this setting$732.36RVU26B
2026-01-01Not available in this setting$732.36RVU26A
2025-10-01Not available in this setting$719.77RVU25D
2025-07-01Not available in this setting$719.77RVU25C
2025-04-01Not available in this setting$719.77RVU25B
2025-01-01Not available in this setting$719.77RVU25A
2024-10-01Not available in this setting$743.74RVU24D
2024-07-01Not available in this setting$743.74RVU24C
2024-04-01Not available in this setting$743.74RVU24B
2024-03-09Not available in this setting$743.74RVU24AR
2024-01-01Not available in this setting$731.60RVU24A
2023-10-01Not available in this setting$752.27RVU23D
2023-07-01Not available in this setting$752.27RVU23C
2023-04-01Not available in this setting$752.27RVU23B
2023-01-01Not available in this setting$752.27RVU23A
2022-10-01Not available in this setting$762.96RVU22D
2022-07-01Not available in this setting$762.96RVU22C
2022-04-01Not available in this setting$762.96RVU22B
2022-01-01Not available in this setting$762.96RVU22A
2021-10-01Not available in this setting$754.32RVU21D
2021-07-01Not available in this setting$754.32RVU21C
2021-04-01Not available in this setting$754.32RVU21B
2021-01-01Not available in this setting$754.32RVU21A
2020-10-01Not available in this setting$731.29RVU20D
2020-07-01Not available in this setting$731.29RVU20C
2020-04-01Not available in this setting$731.29RVU20B
2020-01-01Not available in this setting$731.29RVU20A
2019-10-01Not available in this setting$710.45RVU19D
2019-07-01Not available in this setting$710.45RVU19C
2019-04-01Not available in this setting$707.65RVU19B
2019-01-01Not available in this setting$707.65RVU19A
2018-10-01Not available in this setting$711.67RVU18D
2018-07-01Not available in this setting$711.67RVU18C
2018-04-01Not available in this setting$711.67RVU18B
2018-01-01Not available in this setting$711.67RVU18AR1
2017-10-01Not available in this setting$698.64RVU17D
2017-07-01Not available in this setting$698.64RVU17C
2017-04-01Not available in this setting$698.64RVU17B
2017-01-01Not available in this setting$698.64RVU17A
2016-10-01Not available in this setting$695.92RVU16D
2016-07-01Not available in this setting$695.92RVU16C
2016-04-01Not available in this setting$695.92RVU16B
2016-01-01Not available in this setting$695.92RVU16A
2015-10-01Not available in this setting$700.42RVU15D
2015-07-01Not available in this setting$700.42RVU15C
2015-04-01Not available in this setting$696.93RVU15B
2015-01-01Not available in this setting$696.93RVU15A
2014-10-01Not available in this setting$684.61RVU14D
2014-07-01Not available in this setting$684.61RVU14C
2014-04-01Not available in this setting$684.61RVU14B
2014-01-01Not available in this setting$684.61RVU14A
2013-10-01Not available in this setting$682.92RVU13D
2013-07-01Not available in this setting$682.92RVU13C
2013-04-01Not available in this setting$682.92RVU13B
2013-01-01Not available in this setting$682.92RVU13AR

Price 26843 for an earlier date of service

Where the West Virginia rate applies

West Virginia is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 439 cities and communities in West Virginia. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

  • Accoville
  • Addison (Webster Springs)
  • Adrian
  • Albright
  • Alderson
  • Alum Creek
  • Amherstdale
  • Anawalt

Browse all communities in West Virginia

26843 billing questions

How is this different from the thumb fusion codes?

This code is for a carpometacarpal joint other than the thumb’s. Thumb carpometacarpal fusion is reported with 26841 or, when autogenous bone graft is used, 26842.

When is 26844 used instead?

Use 26844 for fusion of a nonthumb carpometacarpal joint when autogenous bone graft is used. Document the graft and the joint fused.

Can modifier 50 be appended for both hands?

No. CMS identifies the bilateral adjustment as inapplicable for this descriptor or anatomy, so modifier 50 is inappropriate.

What postoperative care is included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction at 50%. An assistant at surgery may be paid.

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
RVUs for 26843PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,694 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for West VirginiaGPCI2026.csv, line 110 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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