Billing code 26135: Finger joint revisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports surgical revision of a finger interphalangeal joint to address a joint problem requiring operative correction, counted for each treated joint.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 26135 in Texas.
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 26135 covers
This service involves surgically revising a finger joint between phalanges, such as a proximal or distal interphalangeal joint. A hand surgeon or other qualified surgeon may perform it in a facility operating room for a painful or function-limiting joint problem that requires operative correction. The record should identify the finger and joint and describe the condition and revision performed; the code represents the joint procedure, not simply evaluation of finger pain or a joint-lining biopsy.
Report the service for each interphalangeal joint revised, supported by the operative report and the documented anatomy and surgical work. CMS 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 multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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.
Where 26135 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Unavailable | $528.93 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $494.37 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $509.35 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $514.24 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $512.38 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $511.96 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $536.12 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $502.71 |
How the 26135 rate is calculated
Each of 26135’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 · 26135
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work6.95
6.95 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.28
7.28 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.32
1.32 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
15.5500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$519.38
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 26135
26135 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 26135
Finger joint revision
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 26135
Finger joint revision
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
26135 without 51 · national facility
$519.38
Finger joint revision
26135-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$259.69
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%).
26135 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 26140Synovectomy
- 26140 describes synovectomy of a finger interphalangeal joint. Use 26135 when the documented service is joint revision rather than removal of joint lining alone.
- 26535Finger joint surgery
- Both codes concern interphalangeal-joint surgery, but the operative procedure determines the correct code. Do not choose between them from the diagnosis or joint location alone.
- 26536Finger joint arthroplasty
- 26536 is the implant-specific interphalangeal-joint arthroplasty code. The record must support the implant procedure to select it instead of 26135.
26135 billing questions
How is this different from a finger-joint synovectomy?
This code is for revision of the interphalangeal joint itself. A synovectomy removes diseased joint lining; it does not by itself represent joint revision.
How many units should be reported when more than one joint is revised?
The descriptor is for each joint. The operative report should identify each treated interphalangeal joint and the work performed.
Can modifier 50 be used when both hands are treated?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code. Report the documented joint services using applicable claim-line conventions.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
When is an assistant-at-surgery payable?
CMS payment for an assistant requires documentation of medical necessity. 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
Fee sheets
Put 26135 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 →