CPT code 26860: Finger joint fusion, one interphalangeal joint2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in New York
Reports surgical fusion of one interphalangeal joint to address painful arthritis, deformity, or instability when a permanent joint fusion is performed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26860 in New York.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
Your location
On this page 9 sections
What 26860 covers
This procedure permanently joins an interphalangeal joint in a finger, with or without internal fixation. Hand surgeons commonly perform it for painful joint destruction, deformity, or instability, such as after arthritis or trauma. The operative work prepares the joint surfaces for fusion and may use fixation to maintain alignment while the bones heal. The code is for an interphalangeal joint, not a knuckle joint or the thumb carpometacarpal joint.
Select the code based on the joint treated and whether autograft is used; the graft-specific code is 26862. The operative report should identify the joint and side, the indication, the fusion technique, fixation, and any graft. This is a major surgery with 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-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.
Where 26860 pays more and less in New York
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Manhattan, NY | Unavailable | $702.13 |
| NYC suburbs and Long Island, NY | Unavailable | $721.63 |
| Poughkeepsie and northern NYC suburbs, NY | Unavailable | $659.73 |
| Queens, NY | Unavailable | $706.10 |
| Rest of New York | Unavailable | $576.67 |
How the 26860 rate is calculated
Each of 26860’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 · 26860
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work4.76
4.76 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense12.49
12.49 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.91
0.91 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
18.1600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$606.56
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26860
26860 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26860
Finger joint fusion, one interphalangeal joint
| 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 · 26860
Finger joint fusion, one interphalangeal joint
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
26860 without 51 · national facility
$606.56
Finger joint fusion, one interphalangeal joint
26860-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$303.28
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%).
26860 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 26862Finger fusionInterphalangeal joint with graft
- Both codes concern interphalangeal joint fusion. Code 26862 is the graft-specific choice when autograft is used.
- 26861Finger joint fusionEach additional joint
- Code 26860 reports the primary interphalangeal joint fusion; 26861 reports each additional interphalangeal joint in a qualifying case.
- 26850Knuckle fusionMetacarpophalangeal joint
- Code 26850 concerns fusion of a knuckle joint. Code 26860 is for an interphalangeal joint.
- 26841Thumb fusionCarpometacarpal joint
- Code 26841 is for the thumb carpometacarpal joint, not an interphalangeal joint.
26860 billing questions
When is 26860 used instead of 26862?
Use 26860 for fusion of an interphalangeal joint without autograft. When the fusion includes autograft, compare the documentation with 26862.
Can 26861 be reported with 26860?
Yes. Code 26861 describes each additional interphalangeal joint and is an add-on code for a qualifying additional joint.
Does 26860 include internal fixation?
The code covers interphalangeal joint fusion with or without internal fixation. Document the fixation used in the operative report.
Should modifier 50 be appended for bilateral finger fusions?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code. The operative documentation should specify the joints and sides treated.
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 for 26860?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery 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
Fee sheets
Put 26860 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Build my fee sheet