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CPT code 26555: Finger transfer2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgery that relocates one existing finger to a different position on the hand to address a positional or reconstructive need.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $1,308.98 for 26555 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 26555

Finger transfer

Work RVUs
16.65
Total RVUs
39.19
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,308.98

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 26555 →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 26555 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 26555 covers

The surgeon moves one existing finger to a different position on the hand as a reconstructive procedure. The operation may be considered when the placement of a digit needs surgical correction; it is distinct from transferring a toe to the hand or converting a finger into a thumb. Hand surgeons typically perform the procedure in an operating room, with the operative plan and anatomy determining the reconstruction.

Report 26555 for the single-finger positional transfer documented in the operative report, not simply for releasing a contracted joint or revising a finger joint. The note should identify the digit and its original and intended positions and describe the transfer performed. This major surgery code 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% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 26555 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

26555 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,178.24
Alaska*Unavailable$1,575.03
ArizonaUnavailable$1,272.24
ArkansasUnavailable$1,162.04
AtlantaUnavailable$1,344.63
AustinUnavailable$1,333.36
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,334.08
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,392.28
BeaumontUnavailable$1,243.48
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,281.64

26555 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
26555 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 26555 rate is calculated

Each of 26555’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 · 26555

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work16.65

16.65 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense18.99

18.99 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice3.55

3.55 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

39.1900

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,308.98

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 26555

26555 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 26555

Finger transfer

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)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 · 26555

Finger transfer

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

26555 without 51 · national facility

$1,308.98

Finger transfer

26555-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$654.49

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

26555 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

  • 26555

    Finger transfer16.65 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26550

    Thumb reconstruction21.14 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26553

    Toe-hand transfer46.97 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26525

    Contracture release5.36 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 26567

    Finger osteotomy6.82 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

26550Thumb reconstruction
Use 26555 when an existing finger is moved to another position. Use 26550 when a digit is converted into a thumb.
26553Toe-hand transfer
26553 describes a single toe transferred to the hand; 26555 repositions a finger already on the hand.
26525Contracture release
26525 releases a finger contracture. A release alone is not the positional transfer reported with 26555.
26567Finger osteotomy
26567 addresses correction of a finger deformity. Choose 26555 when the documented operation is specifically a single-finger positional transfer.

Codes related to 26555

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

Codes related to 26555
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
26550Thumb reconstructionPollicization creates a thumb from a digit rather than repositioning a finger.No office rate
26553Toe-hand transferTransfers a single toe to the hand, rather than repositioning an existing finger.No office rate
26554Toe-to-hand transferTransfers two toes to the hand; 26555 concerns one existing finger.No office rate
26567Finger osteotomyCorrects a finger deformity without reporting the specific positional transfer represented by 26555.No office rate

26555 billing questions

How is 26555 different from pollicization?

26555 reports repositioning a single finger. Pollicization (26550) converts a digit into a thumb, which is a different reconstructive procedure.

Does 26555 include moving a toe to the hand?

No. Toe-to-hand transfer is reported with the applicable toe-transfer code, such as 26553 for a single toe transfer, rather than 26555.

What documentation supports 26555?

Document which finger was moved, its original and intended positions, and the operative steps that establish a positional transfer rather than a joint revision or contracture release.

Can modifier 50 be reported for two sides?

No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to its descriptor or anatomy.

How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect 26555?

When it is performed with other procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. 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 26555PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,644 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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