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Billing code 26215: Finger bone lesionMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports removal or curettage of a benign lesion in a finger phalanx when the resulting bone cavity is filled with the patient's own bone graft.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities35 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $543.10 for 26215 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 26215

Finger bone lesion

Work RVUs
7.09
Total RVUs
16.26
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$543.10

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 26215 →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 26215 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 26215 covers

A hand or orthopedic surgeon uses this service to remove or curette a bone cyst or benign tumor in a finger phalanx and fill the defect with the patient's own bone graft. It fits treatment of a lesion within the phalanx, rather than a lesion of a metacarpal or a procedure that removes part of the bone for another reason. The graft harvest is included in the service. These operations are generally performed in a surgical setting; Medicare recorded facility services for this code in 2024.

Select the code when the operative report identifies the affected phalanx, the benign lesion and its removal or curettage, and placement of an autograft. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one 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. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; 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 26215 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

26215 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$489.33
Alaska*Unavailable$655.66
ArizonaUnavailable$527.94
ArkansasUnavailable$482.68
AtlantaUnavailable$557.98
AustinUnavailable$552.72
BakersfieldUnavailable$552.60
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$577.46
BeaumontUnavailable$516.48
BrazoriaUnavailable$531.67

26215 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
26215 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 26215 rate is calculated

Each of 26215’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 · 26215

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work7.09

7.09 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense7.67

7.67 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.50

1.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

16.2600

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$543.10

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 26215

26215 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 26215

Finger bone lesion

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)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
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 · 26215

Finger bone lesion

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

26215 without 51 · national facility

$543.10

Finger bone lesion

26215-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$271.55

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

26215 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

  • 26215

    Finger bone lesion7.09 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26210

    Bone lesion removal5.19 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26205

    Bone lesion surgery7.73 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26235

    Finger bone surgery6.17 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26260

    Finger tumor resection10.88 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

26210Bone lesion removal
Use 26215 when an autograft is placed after treatment of the phalanx lesion; 26210 represents the corresponding procedure without grafting.
26205Bone lesion surgery
This is a related grafted bone-lesion procedure at a different hand-bone site. Code 26215 is specific to a finger phalanx.
26235Finger bone surgery
This code describes partial removal of finger bone. Choose 26215 for treatment of a benign lesion with autograft, not partial bone excision as the operative service.
26260Finger tumor resection
This code describes resection of a proximal finger tumor. Code 26215 describes removal or curettage of a benign phalanx lesion with autograft.

Codes related to 26215

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

Codes related to 26215
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
26210Bone lesion removalPhalanx lesion removal or curettage without the autograft feature.No office rate
26205Bone lesion surgeryRelated bone-lesion procedure with graft for a different hand-bone site.No office rate
26200Bone lesion removalRelated hand-bone lesion procedure without the graft feature.No office rate
Used instead
26235Finger bone surgeryPartial finger-bone excision, rather than lesion curettage with autograft.No office rate
26260Finger tumor resectionResection of a proximal finger tumor, a different operative approach.No office rate

26215 billing questions

When is 26215 reported instead of 26210?

Report 26215 when the surgeon fills the defect with the patient's own bone graft after treating the phalanx lesion. Code 26210 describes the corresponding lesion procedure without the graft.

Can the bone graft harvest be billed separately?

No. The graft harvest is included in this service.

What documentation supports 26215?

The operative report should identify the finger phalanx and benign lesion, describe its excision or curettage, and document placement of an autograft.

Should modifier 50 be used for lesions on both hands?

No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.

How does Medicare handle other procedures performed in the same session?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service. 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
RVUs for 26215PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,565 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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