Billing code 26841: Thumb fusionMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Reports surgical fusion of the thumb carpometacarpal joint, commonly for painful basal-joint arthritis or instability requiring a stable thumb base.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26841 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 26841 covers
This procedure fuses the joint at the base of the thumb, where the first metacarpal meets the wrist-side carpal bone. The surgeon prepares the joint surfaces and may use internal fixation to hold the bones in position while they heal together. Hand surgeons commonly perform it in an operating room for selected patients with painful thumb-base arthritis, instability, or joint damage after trauma.
Report 26841 for the thumb carpometacarpal fusion when the service does not include the autogenous bone graft described by the graft-specific code. The operative report should identify the joint fused, the indication, the preparation and fixation performed, and whether a graft was used. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 identifies bilateral performance, paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation. 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.
26841 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $711.14 |
How the 26841 rate is calculated
Each of 26841’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 · 26841
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 7.17Practice expense 13.91Malpractice 1.41
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26841
26841 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26841
Thumb 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 26841
Thumb 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
26841 without 50 · national facility
$751.19
Thumb fusion
26841-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,126.79
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).
26841 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
26841 vs 26842 vs 26843 vs 26844 vs 25447: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 26842Thumb fusion
- Both involve thumb carpometacarpal fusion, but 26842 is the graft-specific choice when autogenous bone graft is used.
- 26843Hand joint fusion
- Use 26843 when the fused hand joint is not the thumb carpometacarpal joint; select by the anatomical joint treated.
- 26844Hand joint fusion
- This is a graft-associated hand-joint fusion code for a different joint site, rather than thumb carpometacarpal fusion.
- 25447Interposition arthroplasty
- This is a thumb-base arthroplasty approach rather than fusion; the surgeon preserves motion through joint reconstruction instead of creating a bony union.
26841 billing questions
When should 26841 be chosen over 26842?
Use 26841 for thumb carpometacarpal fusion without the autogenous bone graft specified for 26842. If an autogenous graft is used, select the graft-specific code.
What documentation supports reporting 26841?
Document the thumb carpometacarpal joint fused, the clinical reason for fusion, the operative work, fixation used, and whether a bone graft was performed.
Does the code include related postoperative visits?
Yes. Its 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is bilateral thumb fusion reported?
Report bilateral performance with modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation.
Is payment reduced when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple-procedure rule, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%.
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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