CPT code 28022: Joint exploration, metatarsophalangeal joint2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports open exploration of a metatarsophalangeal joint when the surgeon examines the joint, drains it, or removes a loose or foreign body.
Medicare pays $522.79–$648.99 for 28022 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
Your location
On this page 9 sections
What 28022 covers
This code covers open access to a metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint for exploration, drainage, or removal of a loose or foreign body. It may be used for an MTP joint at the base of a toe when operative evaluation or one of these treatments is performed. Orthopedic foot and ankle surgeons and podiatric surgeons typically perform the procedure in an operating room or another surgical setting.
Report the code for the MTP joint work documented in the operative note; include the specific joint, the reason for opening it, and the findings and actions taken. Exploration, drainage, and removal of a loose or foreign body are part of this service, rather than separate services for the same joint work. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur 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 is inappropriate; assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and 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 28022 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 payment localities
$522.79 to $648.99
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $524.44 | $323.10 |
| Chico, CA | $522.79 | $321.45 |
| El Centro, CA | $522.88 | $321.54 |
| Fresno, CA | $522.79 | $321.45 |
| Hanford, CA | $522.79 | $321.45 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $556.97 | $339.65 |
| Madera, CA | $522.79 | $321.45 |
| Marin County, CA | $634.90 | $375.88 |
| Merced, CA | $522.79 | $321.45 |
| Modesto, CA | $522.79 | $321.45 |
| Napa, CA | $601.11 | $358.98 |
| Oxnard, CA | $553.86 | $336.72 |
| Redding, CA | $522.79 | $321.45 |
| Rest of California | $522.79 | $321.45 |
| Riverside, CA | $528.77 | $327.43 |
| Sacramento, CA | $547.38 | $333.73 |
| Salinas, CA | $545.31 | $332.39 |
| San Benito County, CA | $648.99 | $384.09 |
| San Diego, CA | $557.20 | $337.49 |
| San Francisco, CA | $634.28 | $375.26 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $536.66 | $327.42 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $646.44 | $381.54 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $561.81 | $338.61 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $547.10 | $332.90 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $567.41 | $341.82 |
| Stockton, CA | $522.79 | $321.45 |
| Vallejo, CA | $600.21 | $358.08 |
| Visalia, CA | $522.79 | $321.45 |
| Yuba City, CA | $522.79 | $321.45 |
How the 28022 rate is calculated
Each of 28022’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 · 28022
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work4.69
4.69 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense9.66
9.66 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.55
0.55 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
14.9000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$497.67
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 28022
28022 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 28022
Joint exploration, metatarsophalangeal joint
| 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 · 28022
Joint exploration, metatarsophalangeal joint
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
28022 without 51 · national office
$497.67
Joint exploration, metatarsophalangeal joint
28022-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$248.84
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%).
28022 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 28020Foot joint arthrotomyIntertarsal or tarsometatarsal
- The joint location determines the choice: 28020 covers an intertarsal or tarsometatarsal joint, while 28022 covers an MTP joint.
- 28024Toe joint explorationInterphalangeal joint
- Use 28024 for an interphalangeal joint within a toe; use 28022 for the MTP joint at the toe's base.
- 28052Joint biopsyMetatarsophalangeal joint
- Code 28052 describes MTP arthrotomy with biopsy. Choose it when joint access is performed to obtain a biopsy rather than for the exploration, drainage, or removal work described by 28022.
28022 billing questions
How does this differ from 28020?
28022 is for a metatarsophalangeal joint. Code 28020 applies to an intertarsal or tarsometatarsal joint.
How does this differ from 28024?
28024 applies to an interphalangeal joint in a toe. Use 28022 for an MTP joint at the base of a toe.
Can exploration, drainage, or loose-body removal be billed separately?
Those actions are included in the arthrotomy service for the MTP joint. The operative note should identify which work was performed.
What documentation supports reporting 28022?
Document the MTP joint opened, the clinical reason for the procedure, and the findings and work performed, such as exploration, drainage, or removal of a loose or foreign body.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral MTP joint work?
CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate. The code is also subject to the 90-day global period.
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 · Coming soon
Put 28022 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Join the waitlist