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Billing code 23802: Shoulder fusionMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical fusion of the shoulder’s glenohumeral joint using bone graft, typically as a salvage procedure for a painful or unstable shoulder.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $1,182.39 for 23802 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 23802

Shoulder fusion

Work RVUs
17.96
Total RVUs
35.40
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,182.39

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 23802 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 23802 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 23802 covers

An orthopedic surgeon fuses the humeral head to the glenoid with fixation and bone graft to create a stable shoulder. This is a salvage operation for situations such as a painful, unstable shoulder after failed reconstruction or when joint replacement is unsuitable. The procedure is performed in an operating room, with graft placement supporting bony union across the joint.

Report this code when the operative record supports glenohumeral arthrodesis with bone graft; use the no-graft sibling code when the fusion is performed without graft. Document the joint fused, graft use, fixation, and clinical reason for fusion. The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are reduced to 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. 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 23802 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

23802 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,070.05
Alaska*Unavailable$1,454.44
ArizonaUnavailable$1,149.88
ArkansasUnavailable$1,056.25
AtlantaUnavailable$1,217.18
AustinUnavailable$1,195.37
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,187.41
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,255.49
BeaumontUnavailable$1,132.40
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,154.96

23802 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
23802 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

How the 23802 rate is calculated

Each of 23802’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 · 23802

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work17.96

17.96 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense13.61

13.61 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice3.83

3.83 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

35.4000

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,182.39

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 23802

23802 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 23802

Shoulder fusion

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)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
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 · 23802

Shoulder fusion

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 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

23802 without 50 · national facility

$1,182.39

Shoulder fusion

23802-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,773.59

Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).

When to use modifier 50

23802 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

  • 23802

    Shoulder fusion17.96 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 23800

    Shoulder fusion14.36 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 23472

    Shoulder arthroplasty21.58 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 23470

    Shoulder arthroplasty17.44 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

23800Shoulder fusion
Both codes describe glenohumeral arthrodesis; select 23802 when bone graft is used and 23800 when it is not.
23472Shoulder arthroplasty
23472 describes total shoulder joint replacement. This code describes fusion of the glenohumeral joint with bone graft.
23470Shoulder arthroplasty
23470 describes shoulder hemiarthroplasty, while this code is for fusing the glenohumeral joint with bone graft.

Codes related to 23802

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

Codes related to 23802
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
23800Shoulder fusionGlenohumeral arthrodesis without bone graft.No office rate
Used instead
23472Shoulder arthroplastyTotal shoulder arthroplasty replaces the joint rather than fusing it.No office rate
23470Shoulder arthroplastyShoulder hemiarthroplasty is a replacement option, not a glenohumeral fusion.No office rate

23802 billing questions

When should I report this instead of 23800?

Report 23802 when the glenohumeral fusion includes bone graft. Use 23800 for the fusion without graft.

Can the bone graft harvest be billed separately?

The graft is part of this grafted arthrodesis service. Do not separately report a graft-harvest service for work included in the procedure.

What documentation supports this code?

The operative report should identify the glenohumeral joint fusion, bone graft use, fixation, and the clinical reason for the salvage procedure.

How are bilateral procedures handled?

CMS pays bilateral reporting with modifier 50 at 150%. Document the procedure on both shoulders.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

What postoperative care is included?

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

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 23802PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,248 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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