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Billing code 26236: Finger bone excisionMedicare rate & RVUs

Report this service when a surgeon partially removes bone from a finger phalanx, such as debriding nonviable bone in a hand infection.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities3.9K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $422.19 for 26236 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 26236

Finger bone excision

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
5.32
Total RVUs
12.64
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$422.19

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 26236 → · 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 26236 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 26236 covers

A hand surgeon or other qualified surgeon removes part of a finger phalanx while preserving the remaining bone. A typical indication is removal of nonviable or infected bone, such as a sequestrum in osteomyelitis. The procedure is generally performed in an operating room, with the operative report identifying the affected finger and phalanx and describing the bone removed.

Report the code when the documented operation is partial removal of finger bone, not simply curettage of a cyst or benign tumor, or removal of a metacarpal segment. The note should support the site, extent, and reason for the resection. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted; 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 26236 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

26236 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$380.89
Alaska*Unavailable$509.07
ArizonaUnavailable$410.68
ArkansasUnavailable$375.76
AtlantaUnavailable$433.06
AustinUnavailable$430.75
BakersfieldUnavailable$432.12
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$448.58
BeaumontUnavailable$400.84
BrazoriaUnavailable$414.08

26236 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
26236 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 26236 rate is calculated

Each of 26236’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 · 26236

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 5.32Practice expense 6.28Malpractice 1.04

12.6400 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$422.19

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 26236

26236 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 26236

Finger bone excision

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 · 26236

Finger bone excision

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.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned 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

26236 without 51 · national facility

$422.19

Finger bone excision

26236-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$211.10

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

26236 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

26236 vs 26235 vs 26210 vs 26215 vs 26230: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 26236
    Finger bone excision · 5.32 wRVU
    —
  • 26235
    Finger bone surgery · 6.17 wRVU
    —
  • 26210
    Bone lesion removal · 5.19 wRVU
    —
  • 26215
    Finger bone lesion · 7.09 wRVU
    —
  • 26230
    Hand bone excision · 6.31 wRVU
    —

How to choose

26235Finger bone surgery
Both CMS short descriptors identify partial finger-bone removal. Check the full billing code descriptor and operative report to determine which code matches the documented procedure.
26210Bone lesion removal
This code concerns partial removal of finger bone; 26210 is for curettage or excision of a cyst or benign tumor in a finger phalanx.
26215Finger bone lesion
Use 26215 for curettage or excision of a finger phalanx cyst or benign tumor with bone grafting, rather than partial bone removal.
26230Hand bone excision
Both involve partial bone removal, but 26230 concerns a metacarpal; this code concerns a finger phalanx.

Codes related to 26236

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

Codes related to 26236
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
26235Finger bone surgeryNeighboring code for partial removal of finger bone; distinguish using the full descriptor and operative details.No office rate
26230Hand bone excisionPartial bone excision in the hand involving a metacarpal rather than a finger phalanx.No office rate
Used instead
26210Bone lesion removalFor curettage or excision of a finger phalanx cyst or benign tumor.No office rate
26215Finger bone lesionFor finger phalanx cyst or benign tumor treatment with bone grafting.No office rate

26236 billing questions

How is this different from 26235?

Both codes are described as partial removal of finger bone in the CMS short descriptors. Use the full billing code descriptor and operative details to select the code; document the bone and exact procedure performed.

Can this be reported for curettage of a finger bone lesion?

A cyst or benign tumor treated by curettage is represented by a different service, with or without bone grafting. This code describes partial removal of finger bone.

Does the 90-day global period include postoperative visits?

Yes. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.

Can modifier 50 be used when both hands are treated?

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

Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be paid?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is subject to a statutory restriction. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.

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 26236PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,568 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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