CPT code 23800: Shoulder fusion2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports surgical fusion of the glenohumeral joint without bone graft, typically to stabilize a severely painful or nonfunctional shoulder.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 23800 in Florida.
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 23800 covers
An orthopedic surgeon fuses the humeral head to the glenoid by preparing the joint surfaces and stabilizing them so they heal together. This operation may be chosen for a severely painful, unstable, or nonfunctional shoulder when preserving motion with an implant is not the treatment plan. It is generally performed in an operating room under anesthesia, with fixation selected for the patient’s anatomy and condition.
Report this code when the glenohumeral fusion is performed without bone graft; the grafted fusion is represented by a different code in this family. The operative report should identify the joint fused, the fusion work and fixation performed, whether graft was used, and the clinical indication. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For same-session procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 applies to bilateral reporting, paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 23800 pays more and less in Florida
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | Unavailable | $1,033.64 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $1,117.31 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $981.76 |
How the 23800 rate is calculated
Each of 23800’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 · 23800
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work14.36
14.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense10.93
10.93 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.05
3.05 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
28.3400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$946.58
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 23800
23800 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 23800
Shoulder fusion
| 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 23800
Shoulder 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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
23800 without 50 · national facility
$946.58
Shoulder fusion
23800-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,419.87
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).
23800 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 23802Shoulder fusion
- Both codes describe glenohumeral fusion; choose 23802 when bone graft is used and 23800 when it is not.
- 23472Shoulder arthroplasty
- This code reports total shoulder arthroplasty with joint replacement components. Code 23800 reports fusion of the glenohumeral joint.
- 23470Shoulder arthroplasty
- This code reports shoulder hemiarthroplasty, whereas 23800 reports fusion rather than replacement of the joint.
23800 billing questions
How do I choose between 23800 and 23802?
Use 23800 for glenohumeral fusion without bone graft. The related code 23802 represents fusion with graft.
What documentation supports 23800?
The operative report should establish that the glenohumeral joint was fused, describe the preparation and stabilization performed, and clarify whether bone graft was used.
Does 23800 include related postoperative care?
Yes. Its 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is bilateral shoulder fusion reported?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Document the fusion performed on each side.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
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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