No office rate
Both are in the MCP fusion group. Use the full CPT descriptor and operative details to distinguish the code-level service; the CMS short label alone does not supply that distinction.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
26517 Knuckle fusion Medicare reimbursement rates in Kansas
Reports surgical fusion of a metacarpophalangeal knuckle joint to stabilize a painful, deformed, or unstable joint in the hand. Compare 26517 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Kansas.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 26517 in Kansas?
Kansas has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$767.48
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Kansas
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Hand surgery
About 26517: Metacarpophalangeal joint fusion
Reports surgical fusion of a metacarpophalangeal knuckle joint to stabilize a painful, deformed, or unstable joint in the hand.
A hand surgeon surgically fuses a metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint, the knuckle where a finger meets the hand, to create a stable joint by eliminating motion there. The procedure may be considered for severe joint disease, deformity, or instability when preserving motion is not the goal. It is performed in an operating room, commonly in a hospital or ambulatory surgery center. The operative report should identify the finger and MCP joint treated and describe the fusion performed.
Report this code for the MCP fusion work documented in the operative note; distinguish it from procedures on the finger’s interphalangeal joints and from joint reconstruction or contracture release. The code has 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%. For bilateral procedures reported with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 26517
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU8.85 · 35%
- Practice expense (office) RVU14.58 · 58%
- Malpractice RVU1.88 · 7%
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.
26517 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Kansas, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
This is another code in the MCP fusion group. Confirm the full descriptor against the documented procedure rather than choosing between the codes from the abbreviated CMS labels.
No office rate
26520 is for release of an MCP contracture. Choose the fusion code when the surgeon fuses the knuckle joint, not when the documented service is contracture release.
No office rate
26530 describes MCP joint revision, while this code represents fusion. The operative procedure determines which service was performed.
Compare 26517 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Kansas →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$767.48
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 26517 in Kansas.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
2,626
- Code
- 26517
- Physician work
- 8.85
- Practice expense
- 14.58
- Malpractice
- 1.88
GPCI2026.csv
54
- Locality
- Kansas
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.904
- Malpractice
- 0.504
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 8.85 | × 1.000 | 8.8500 |
| Practice expense | 14.58 | × 0.904 | 13.1803 |
| Malpractice | 1.88 | × 0.504 | 0.9475 |
| Total RVUs | 22.9778 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Kansas$767.48
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 8.85 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 14.58 | 0.904 |
| Malpractice | 1.88 | 0.504 |
(8.85 × 1 + 14.58 × 0.904 + 1.88 × 0.504) × $33.4009 = $767.48
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
26517 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from a finger-joint fusion?
This code is for fusion at the MCP knuckle, where the finger meets the hand. A fusion at a finger interphalangeal joint is a different anatomic service.
What documentation supports reporting the code?
The operative report should identify the MCP joint and finger treated and describe the fusion performed. Include the indication and laterality when documented.
How is bilateral MCP fusion paid?
CMS lists bilateral reporting with modifier 50 at 150%. The operative documentation should establish that the procedure was performed on both sides.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedure or procedures are paid at 50%.
Can an assistant surgeon be paid for this procedure?
CMS permits payment for an assistant at surgery. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
2,62326508,,Release thumb contracture,A,,6.03,12.13,NA,12.13,,1.04,19.20,19.20,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,62426510,,Thumb tendon transfer,A,,5.46,12.28,NA,12.28,,1.05,18.79,18.79,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,62526516,,Fusion of knuckle joint,A,,7.14,12.97,NA,12.97,,1.37,21.48,21.48,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,62626517,,Fusion of knuckle joints,A,,8.85,14.58,NA,14.58,,1.88,25.31,25.31,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,62726518,,Fusion of knuckle joints,A,,9.04,14.64,NA,14.64,,1.92,25.60,25.60,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,62826520,,Release knuckle contracture,A,,5.33,13.73,NA,13.73,,1.02,20.08,20.08,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,62926525,,Release finger contracture,A,,5.36,13.87,NA,13.87,,1.04,20.27,20.27,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5106102,IL,99,REST OF ILLINOIS,1.000,0.913,1.563
5208102,IN,00,INDIANA,1.000,0.927,0.486
5305102,IA,00,IOWA,1.000,0.915,0.397
5405202,KS,00,KANSAS,1.000,0.904,0.504
5515102,KY,00,KENTUCKY,1.000,0.889,0.915
5607202,LA,01,NEW ORLEANS,1.000,0.941,1.136
5707202,LA,99,REST OF LOUISIANA,1.000,0.885,0.958