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Billing code 26910: Ray amputationMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports removal of a finger or thumb together with its metacarpal, creating a ray amputation for destructive injury, infection, ischemia, or tumor.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities829 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $740.50 for 26910 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 26910

Ray amputation

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
7.6
Total RVUs
22.17
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$740.50

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 26910 → · 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 26910 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 26910 covers

This operation removes a digit as a ray, including its associated metacarpal, rather than ending the amputation at a finger joint or phalanx. Hand, orthopedic, and plastic surgeons perform it in an operating room when trauma, severe infection, ischemic tissue loss, or a tumor makes preservation of the ray impractical. The surgeon removes the digit and metacarpal and prepares the remaining hand for closure and function.

Choose 26910 when the operation removes the metacarpal with its digit; an amputation limited to a digit is a different service. The operative report should identify the affected ray, extent of metacarpal removal, indication, and closure or reconstruction performed. CMS assigns a 90-day major-surgery global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For same-session multiple procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. 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 26910 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

26910 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$664.29
Alaska*Unavailable$873.47
ArizonaUnavailable$719.79
ArkansasUnavailable$654.76
AtlantaUnavailable$758.25
AustinUnavailable$760.67
BakersfieldUnavailable$767.80
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$788.25
BeaumontUnavailable$697.64
BrazoriaUnavailable$727.65

26910 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
26910 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 26910 rate is calculated

Each of 26910’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 · 26910

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 7.60Practice expense 13.08Malpractice 1.49

22.1700 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$740.50

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 26910

26910 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 26910

Ray amputation

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 · 26910

Ray amputation

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

26910 without 51 · national facility

$740.50

Ray amputation

26910-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$370.25

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

26910 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

26910 vs 26951 vs 26952 vs 26989: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 26910
    Ray amputation · 7.6 wRVU
    —
  • 26951
    Digit amputation · 5.89 wRVU
    —
  • 26952
    Digit amputation · 6.32 wRVU
    —
  • 26989
    · 0 wRVU
    —

How to choose

26951Digit amputation
Use 26951 for a single finger or thumb amputation at a joint or phalanx when the metacarpal remains. Use 26910 when the removal includes the metacarpal.
26952Digit amputation
Use 26952 for a digit amputation requiring a local advancement flap, with the metacarpal left in place. Removal of the digit together with its metacarpal points to 26910.
26989Unlisted px hands/fingers
Use 26989 only when the hand or finger procedure has no specific code that describes it; 26910 specifically describes a ray amputation that includes the metacarpal.

Codes related to 26910

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

Codes related to 26910
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
26951Digit amputationDigit amputation when the metacarpal is not removed.No office rate
26952Digit amputationDigit amputation with a local advancement flap when the metacarpal is not removed.No office rate
26989Unlisted px hands/fingersUnlisted hand or finger procedure when no specific code describes the service.No office rate

26910 billing questions

When should I report 26910 instead of a finger-amputation code?

Report 26910 when the digit is removed with its associated metacarpal. If the amputation stops at a finger joint or phalanx and leaves the metacarpal, consider the digit-amputation codes instead.

What operative details support 26910?

Document the affected digit or ray, how much of the metacarpal was removed, the clinical indication, and the closure or reconstruction performed.

Does 26910 have a global period?

Yes. CMS assigns a 90-day major-surgery global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

How is 26910 handled with other procedures in the same session?

Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50% when performed in the same session.

Can I use modifier 50 or report an assistant surgeon?

Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and 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 26910PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 2,702 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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