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Billing code 26860: Finger joint fusionMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical fusion of one interphalangeal joint to address painful arthritis, deformity, or instability when a permanent joint fusion is performed.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities6.2K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $606.56 for 26860 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 26860

Finger joint fusion

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
4.76
Total RVUs
18.16
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$606.56

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 26860 → · 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 26860 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 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

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

109 of 109 payment localities

26860 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$541.22
Alaska*Unavailable$699.52
ArizonaUnavailable$589.25
ArkansasUnavailable$533.00
AtlantaUnavailable$619.82
AustinUnavailable$627.61
BakersfieldUnavailable$637.75
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$646.76
BeaumontUnavailable$566.86
BrazoriaUnavailable$597.39

26860 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
26860 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 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

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 4.76Practice expense 12.49Malpractice 0.91

18.1600 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$606.56

All indexes start 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

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 · 26860

Finger joint 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.

  • 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

26860 without 51 · national facility

$606.56

Finger joint fusion

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%).

When to use modifier 51

26860 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

26860 vs 26862 vs 26861 vs 26850 vs 26841: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 26860
    Finger joint fusion · 4.76 wRVU
    —
  • 26862
    Finger fusion · 7.37 wRVU
    —
  • 26861
    Finger joint fusion · 1.7 wRVU
    —
  • 26850
    Knuckle fusion · 6.96 wRVU
    —
  • 26841
    Thumb fusion · 7.17 wRVU
    —

How to choose

26862Finger fusion
Both codes concern interphalangeal joint fusion. Code 26862 is the graft-specific choice when autograft is used.
26861Finger joint fusion
Code 26860 reports the primary interphalangeal joint fusion; 26861 reports each additional interphalangeal joint in a qualifying case.
26850Knuckle fusion
Code 26850 concerns fusion of a knuckle joint. Code 26860 is for an interphalangeal joint.
26841Thumb fusion
Code 26841 is for the thumb carpometacarpal joint, not an interphalangeal joint.

Codes related to 26860

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

Codes related to 26860
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Add-on codes
26861Finger joint fusionAdd-on code for each additional interphalangeal joint fused.No office rate
Used instead
26862Finger fusionUse for interphalangeal joint fusion with autograft.No office rate
26850Knuckle fusionFusion of a knuckle joint rather than an interphalangeal joint.No office rate
26841Thumb fusionFusion of the thumb carpometacarpal joint, a different site.No office rate

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
RVUs for 26860PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,698 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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