CPT code 26215: Finger bone lesion2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Reports removal or curettage of a benign lesion in a finger phalanx when the resulting bone cavity is filled with the patient's own bone graft.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26215 in Ohio.
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 26215 covers
A hand or orthopedic surgeon uses this service to remove or curette a bone cyst or benign tumor in a finger phalanx and fill the defect with the patient's own bone graft. It fits treatment of a lesion within the phalanx, rather than a lesion of a metacarpal or a procedure that removes part of the bone for another reason. The graft harvest is included in the service. These operations are generally performed in a surgical setting; Medicare recorded facility services for this code in 2024.
Select the code when the operative report identifies the affected phalanx, the benign lesion and its removal or curettage, and placement of an autograft. 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 one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. 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.
26215 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $521.21 |
How the 26215 rate is calculated
Each of 26215’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 · 26215
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work7.09
7.09 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.67
7.67 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.50
1.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
16.2600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$543.10
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26215
26215 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26215
Finger bone lesion
| 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) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| 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 · 26215
Finger bone lesion
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 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
26215 without 51 · national facility
$543.10
Finger bone lesion
26215-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$271.55
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%).
26215 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 26210Bone lesion removal
- Use 26215 when an autograft is placed after treatment of the phalanx lesion; 26210 represents the corresponding procedure without grafting.
- 26205Bone lesion surgery
- This is a related grafted bone-lesion procedure at a different hand-bone site. Code 26215 is specific to a finger phalanx.
- 26235Finger bone surgery
- This code describes partial removal of finger bone. Choose 26215 for treatment of a benign lesion with autograft, not partial bone excision as the operative service.
- 26260Finger tumor resection
- This code describes resection of a proximal finger tumor. Code 26215 describes removal or curettage of a benign phalanx lesion with autograft.
26215 billing questions
When is 26215 reported instead of 26210?
Report 26215 when the surgeon fills the defect with the patient's own bone graft after treating the phalanx lesion. Code 26210 describes the corresponding lesion procedure without the graft.
Can the bone graft harvest be billed separately?
No. The graft harvest is included in this service.
What documentation supports 26215?
The operative report should identify the finger phalanx and benign lesion, describe its excision or curettage, and document placement of an autograft.
Should modifier 50 be used for lesions on both hands?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
How does Medicare handle other procedures performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service. 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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