CPT code 28234: Extensor tenotomy, single tendon2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports open division of one extensor tendon in the foot or toe to reduce tendon pull contributing to a deformity or contracture.
Medicare pays $372.29–$398.21 for 28234 in the office in Missouri, from Rest of Missouri to Metropolitan St. Louis, MO. 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.
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On this page 9 sections
What 28234 covers
The surgeon makes an incision to expose and divide a single extensor tendon in the foot or toe. This may be performed by an orthopedic or podiatric surgeon to reduce tendon pull contributing to a deformity or contracture. The procedure is distinct from freeing a tendon from adhesions and from repairing a damaged tendon. It is typically performed in an operating room or outpatient surgical setting.
Report the code for one extensor tendon divided through an open approach; document the tendon and site, the clinical problem, and the work performed. The 90-day global period includes 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% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, 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 28234 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
3 payment localities
$372.29 to $398.21
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | $394.21 | $252.45 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | $398.21 | $254.49 |
| Rest of Missouri | $372.29 | $242.15 |
How the 28234 rate is calculated
Each of 28234’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 · 28234
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work3.45
3.45 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.51
8.51 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.37
0.37 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
12.3300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$411.83
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 28234
28234 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 28234
Extensor tenotomy, single tendon
| 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 · 28234
Extensor tenotomy, single tendon
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
28234 without 51 · national office
$411.83
Extensor tenotomy, single tendon
28234-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$205.92
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%).
28234 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 28230Tendon incisionSingle extensor tendon
- Choose 28230 for open division of a flexor tendon in the foot. Code 28234 is for an extensor tendon.
- 28232Toe tendon incisionSingle flexor tendon
- Code 28232 describes open division of a flexor tendon in a toe; 28234 describes division of an extensor tendon.
- 28222Tendon releaseSingle extensor tendon
- Code 28222 frees an extensor tendon from adhesions. Code 28234 divides the tendon itself.
- 28285Hammertoe repairLesser-toe deformity correction
- Code 28285 reports hammertoe correction. Do not use 28234 for tendon work that is part of that correction.
28234 billing questions
How does this differ from code 28230?
Code 28234 is for dividing an extensor tendon. Code 28230 describes an open division of a flexor tendon in the foot.
When is code 28232 a closer fit?
Code 28232 describes an open division of a flexor tendon in a toe. Code 28234 is for an extensor tendon.
Can code 28234 be reported with hammertoe correction?
Do not separately report it for tendon division that is part of the hammertoe correction. Documentation should support a distinct tendon procedure rather than repeating work included in the correction.
What documentation supports the code?
Record the foot or toe site, the specific extensor tendon divided, the open approach, and the deformity or other clinical reason for the procedure.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral procedures?
No. The descriptor or anatomy makes bilateral adjustment inappropriate for this code.
Is an assistant or co-surgeon payable?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. 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
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