Billing code 25820: Wrist fusionMedicare rate & RVUs in Oklahoma
A surgeon fuses selected wrist bones without bone graft to treat conditions such as painful arthritis or instability while preserving unfused wrist joints.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 25820 in Oklahoma.
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 25820 covers
An orthopedic or hand surgeon performs a limited wrist arthrodesis by joining selected wrist bones while leaving other wrist joints unfused. The procedure may be used for painful wrist arthritis, post-traumatic damage, or instability when the treatment plan calls for a partial rather than complete wrist fusion. This code describes the limited fusion performed without bone graft; the operative report should identify the bones fused and the extent of the arthrodesis.
Report the code when the surgeon performs that limited fusion and does not use bone graft. Documentation should support the involved joints, the reason for fusion, and the graft status. 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 other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team-surgery billing 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.
25820 in Oklahoma
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | Unavailable | $570.42 |
How the 25820 rate is calculated
Each of 25820’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 · 25820
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work7.45
7.45 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense9.52
9.52 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.45
1.45 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
18.4200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$615.24
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 25820
25820 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 25820
Wrist 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 · 25820
Wrist 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
25820 without 50 · national facility
$615.24
Wrist fusion
25820-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$922.86
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).
25820 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 25800Wrist fusion
- Use 25800 for complete wrist fusion without graft. Use 25820 when the surgeon fuses only selected wrist joints.
- 25805Wrist fusion
- Use 25805 when the wrist fusion includes a sliding bone graft; 25820 describes a limited fusion without graft.
- 25810Wrist fusion
- Use 25810 when iliac or another autograft is used for the wrist arthrodesis. This code is for limited fusion without bone graft.
- 25825Wrist fusion
- Use 25825 when autograft is used for wrist arthrodesis. Use 25820 when the documented limited fusion is performed without graft.
25820 billing questions
How does this differ from a complete wrist fusion?
This code is for fusion of selected wrist bones, with other wrist joints left unfused. A complete wrist fusion is reported with 25800 when that broader procedure is performed.
Can this code be reported if bone graft is used?
No. This code describes a limited wrist fusion without bone graft; select the code that matches the graft used and the documented procedure.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The operative report should identify the bones or joints fused, confirm the limited extent of the fusion, state that no bone graft was used, and document the clinical reason.
Can an assistant-at-surgery claim be submitted?
CMS allows payment for an assistant at surgery for this procedure. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation.
How is this procedure handled when performed bilaterally?
CMS pays bilateral reporting with modifier 50 at 150%. The operative documentation should support performance on both wrists.
Are related postoperative visits included?
Yes. 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 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
Fee sheets
Put 25820 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →