Billing code 26075: Finger joint surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Surgical opening of a metacarpophalangeal joint for inspection or treatment, such as draining joint infection or removing a foreign body.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26075 in Alaska.
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 9 sections
What 26075 covers
This service opens a metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint—the knuckle where a finger meets the hand—to inspect or treat the joint. A hand or orthopedic surgeon may use it to address suspected joint infection, remove a foreign body or loose material, or evaluate another problem requiring direct access. It is generally performed in an operating-room setting, with the operative report identifying the finger and MCP joint treated and the reason for opening it.
Report the code when the work is directed into the MCP joint, rather than a finger abscess or tendon sheath. Documentation should describe the joint approach, findings, and treatment performed. Medicare assigns 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 others at 50%. Modifier 50 applies to a bilateral procedure, paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is 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.
26075 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $394.28 |
How the 26075 rate is calculated
Each of 26075’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 · 26075
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work3.81
3.81 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense5.34
5.34 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.73
0.73 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
9.8800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$330.00
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26075
26075 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26075
Finger joint surgery
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 26075
Finger joint surgery
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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
26075 without 50 · national facility
$330.00
Finger joint surgery
26075-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$495.00
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
26075 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 26070Hand joint arthrotomy
- Use 26070 for work on a carpometacarpal joint. This code identifies an MCP joint at the base of a finger.
- 26080Finger joint arthrotomy
- Use 26080 when the opened joint is an interphalangeal joint within the finger; this code is for the MCP knuckle.
- 26010Abscess drainage
- 26010 addresses drainage of a finger abscess. This code is appropriate when the surgeon opens the MCP joint for joint-directed exploration or treatment.
26075 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 26070 and 26080?
This code is for an MCP joint. Code 26070 is for a carpometacarpal joint, while 26080 is for an interphalangeal joint.
Can this code be used for a finger abscess?
Use it when the surgeon opens the MCP joint for joint-directed exploration or treatment. A superficial finger abscess without joint entry is a different service, such as the one described by 26010.
What documentation supports reporting this service?
Document the specific MCP joint, why it required surgical opening, the operative findings, and any drainage or removal performed.
How are bilateral and multiple procedures handled?
CMS pays a bilateral procedure reported with modifier 50 at 150%. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%.
Is an assistant or co-surgeon payable?
CMS restricts assistant-at-surgery payment 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
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