CPT code 28190: Foot foreign body removal, subcutaneous foreign body2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $239.48 for 28190 nationally in the office and $127.59 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $212.53–$317.25.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 28190 covers

This procedure removes a retained foreign object from the subcutaneous tissue of the foot through an incision and operative exposure. Podiatrists and orthopedic or other foot surgeons may perform it when an object such as a splinter or piece of glass remains embedded and requires surgical removal, in an office procedure room or an outpatient surgical setting. The code is specific to the foot and to the subcutaneous depth of the removal.

Choose this level when the documented operative depth is subcutaneous; a deeper removal is represented by a different code in the series, with complexity also distinguishing the deepest level. The operative note should identify the foot and location, describe the depth and approach, and document removal of the foreign object. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. 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% multiple procedure reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; 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 28190 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

28190 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

How the 28190 rate is calculated

Each of 28190’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 28190

28190 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 50

28190 compared with similar codes

How to choose

28192Foot foreign body removalDeep foreign body

Choose 28190 for a subcutaneous foot foreign body. Choose 28192 when the removal extends into deeper tissue.

28193Foreign body removalComplicated foot removal

28193 is for deep, complicated removal. Subcutaneous removal is reported with 28190.

10120Foreign body removalSimple subcutaneous extraction

10120 describes simple subcutaneous foreign body removal at a site not covered by the foot-specific code. For a subcutaneous foreign body in the foot, consider 28190.

Codes related to 28190

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates