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CPT code 28288: Toe bone removal, phalangeal head2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in North Carolina

Reports partial removal of a toe phalanx head, commonly to relieve a painful bony prominence or pressure associated with a toe deformity.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026One payment locality2.5K Medicare services in 2024

In North Carolina, Medicare pays $576.12 for 28288 in the office and $395.06 when it’s performed in a hospital or facility.

$576.12Office (non-facility)
$395.06Hospital or facility
−5.6%vs the national office rate ($610.57)

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 28288 nationwide

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

We’ll open 28288 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 11 sections
  1. Rate in North Carolina
  2. What 28288 covers
  3. Compared with other areas
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Related codes
  8. Rate history
  9. Where it applies
  10. Billing questions
  11. Sources

What 28288 covers

A foot surgeon, commonly an orthopedic surgeon or podiatrist, removes part of a toe phalanx head to address a painful bony prominence and related pressure or irritation. The procedure may be performed in a surgical facility or office-based setting, depending on the case. The operative note should identify the toe and bone treated, the prominence or deformity prompting surgery, and the extent of bone removed.

Report 28288 for partial removal involving the head of a toe phalanx, rather than a different phalangeal site or a procedure directed at correcting the toe deformity itself. This major surgery has 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 the others are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. 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.

How North Carolina compares for 28288

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the office rate for 28288 runs from $544.31 in Arkansas to $794.77 in San Benito County, CA. North Carolina pays $576.12. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

28288 in North Carolina vs other payment areas
  1. North Carolina · this page$576.12
  2. Los Angeles, CA · California$682.67+$106.55
  3. Washington, DC area · District of Columbia$693.46+$117.34
  4. Miami, FL · Florida$661.36+$85.24
  5. Chicago, IL · Illinois$643.31+$67.19
  6. Manhattan, NY · New York$699.90+$123.78
  7. Alaska · Alaska$723.87+$147.75

Other areas in North Carolina first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.

Every other payment area

28288 in every other Medicare payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaAlabama$551.74$381.94
ArkansasArkansas$544.31$377.61
ArizonaArizona$595.15$407.11
Bakersfield, CACalifornia$643.03$430.34
Chico, CACalifornia$640.97$428.29
El Centro, CACalifornia$641.09$428.40
Fresno, CACalifornia$640.97$428.29
Hanford, CACalifornia$640.97$428.29

28288 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

$544.31

$723.87

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
28288 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$723.871
AL$551.741
AR$544.311
AZ$595.151
CA$640.97–$794.7729
CO$633.021
CT$649.431
DC$693.461
DE$604.551
FL$604.75–$661.363
GA$572.62–$621.992
GU$654.681
HI$654.681
IA$563.571
ID$567.261
IL$589.27–$643.314
IN$570.291
KS$561.691
KY$565.151
LA$564.56–$590.542
MA$629.86–$692.122
MD$615.37–$693.463
ME$570.64–$598.662
MI$579.41–$612.442
MN$605.941
MO$555.91–$591.813
MS$550.181
MT$610.521
NC$576.121
ND$597.081
NE$566.271
NH$623.791
NJ$656.66–$687.152
NM$582.611
NV$607.171
NY$584.23–$716.635
OH$576.661
OK$563.581
OR$602.26–$651.382
PA$577.19–$634.542
PR$614.541
RI$624.771
SC$577.391
SD$595.491
TN$564.401
TX$573.69–$631.108
UT$584.741
VA$597.23–$693.462
VI$614.541
VT$595.431
WA$628.45–$705.152
WI$578.401
WV$569.031
WY$604.661

See 28288 in every payment locality

How the 28288 rate is calculated

Each of 28288’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 · 28288

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work5.87

5.87 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense11.73

11.73 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.68

0.68 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

18.2800

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$610.57

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

The exact North Carolina inputs and CMS source lines

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

3,170

Code
28288
Physician work
5.87
Practice expense
11.73
Malpractice
0.68

GPCI2026.csv

83

Locality
North Carolina
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
0.933
Malpractice
0.639
Office calculation for 28288 in North Carolina
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work5.87× 1.0005.8700
Practice expense11.73× 0.93310.9441
Malpractice0.68× 0.6390.4345
Total RVUs17.2486
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Office rate, North Carolina$576.12

Office: (5.87 × 1 + 11.73 × 0.933 + 0.68 × 0.639) × $33.4009 = $576.12

Facility: (5.87 × 1 + 5.92 × 0.933 + 0.68 × 0.639) × $33.4009 = $395.06

Open 28288 in the RVU calculator

Payment rules and modifiers for 28288

28288 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 28288

Toe bone removal, phalangeal head

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.69/0.21Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 28288

Toe bone removal, phalangeal head

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

28288 without 51 · national office

$610.57

Toe bone removal, phalangeal head

28288-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$305.29

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%).

When to use modifier 51

Codes related to 28288

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

Codes related to 28288
CodeHow it relatesOffice range, North Carolina
Used instead
28124Toe bone excision, partial phalanx excisionFor partial excision of toe phalanx bone at a site other than the phalangeal head.$448.82
28126Toe bone excision, complete phalanx removalFor resection of a condyle at the distal end of a toe phalanx.$365.39
28285Hammertoe repair, lesser-toe deformity correctionFor surgical correction of a hammertoe rather than isolated phalangeal-head bone removal.$517.87
28110Metatarsal resection, partial fifth-head excisionFor partial removal of the fifth metatarsal head when the prominence is at that bone.$440.65

How 28288 has changed in North Carolina

28288 · Office / nonfacility

$576.12

Effective 2026-10-01

The base rate is $26.76 higher than on 2025-10-01, moving from $549.36 to $576.12 (4.9%).

It is unchanged from the immediately preceding available release, effective 2026-07-01.

Base rate by release · bars start at $0 · select a bar to compare

One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.

What changed, release by release

  1. January 1, 2026

    RVU26A

    $549.36changed to$576.12

    • Conversion factor 32.3465 changed to 33.4009
    • Work RVU 6.02 changed to 5.87
    • Practice expense RVU 11.38 changed to 11.73
    • Malpractice RVU 0.64 changed to 0.68
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.926 changed to 0.933
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.665 changed to 0.639

    Held through RVU26B, RVU26C, RVU26D.

  2. January 1, 2025

    RVU25A

    $568.55changed to$549.36

    • Conversion factor 33.2875 changed to 32.3465
    • Practice expense RVU 11.47 changed to 11.38
    • Malpractice RVU 0.66 changed to 0.64

    Held through RVU25B, RVU25C, RVU25D.

  3. March 9, 2024

    RVU24AR

    $559.27changed to$568.55

    • Conversion factor 32.7442 changed to 33.2875

    Held through RVU24B, RVU24C, RVU24D.

  4. January 1, 2024

    RVU24A

    $575.00changed to$559.27

    • Conversion factor 33.8872 changed to 32.7442
    • Practice expense RVU 11.29 changed to 11.47
    • Malpractice RVU 0.65 changed to 0.66
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.927 changed to 0.926
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.742 changed to 0.665

  5. January 1, 2023

    RVU23A

    $586.36changed to$575.00

    • Conversion factor 34.6062 changed to 33.8872
    • Practice expense RVU 11.18 changed to 11.29
    • Malpractice RVU 0.67 changed to 0.65
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.928 changed to 0.927
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.819 changed to 0.742

    Held through RVU23B, RVU23C, RVU23D.

  6. January 1, 2022

    RVU22A

    $597.13changed to$586.36

    • Conversion factor 34.8931 changed to 34.6062
    • Practice expense RVU 11.38 changed to 11.18
    • Malpractice RVU 0.65 changed to 0.67

    Held through RVU22B, RVU22C, RVU22D.

  7. January 1, 2021

    RVU21A

    $600.92changed to$597.13

    • Conversion factor 36.0896 changed to 34.8931
    • Practice expense RVU 10.91 changed to 11.38
    • Malpractice RVU 0.64 changed to 0.65
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.930 changed to 0.928
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.757 changed to 0.819

    Held through RVU21B, RVU21C, RVU21D.

  8. January 1, 2020

    RVU20A

    $600.13changed to$600.92

    • Conversion factor 36.0391 changed to 36.0896
    • Practice expense RVU 10.95 changed to 10.91
    • Malpractice RVU 0.63 changed to 0.64
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.931 changed to 0.930
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.695 changed to 0.757

    Held through RVU20B, RVU20C, RVU20D.

  9. January 1, 2019

    RVU19A

    $596.21changed to$600.13

    • Conversion factor 35.9996 changed to 36.0391
    • Practice expense RVU 10.86 changed to 10.95
    • Malpractice RVU 0.62 changed to 0.63

    Held through RVU19B, RVU19C, RVU19D.

  10. January 1, 2018

    RVU18AR1

    $593.19changed to$596.21

    • Conversion factor 35.8887 changed to 35.9996
    • Practice expense RVU 10.80 changed to 10.86
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.732 changed to 0.695

    Held through RVU18B, RVU18C, RVU18D.

  11. January 1, 2017

    RVU17A

    $592.82changed to$593.19

    • Conversion factor 35.8043 changed to 35.8887
    • Practice expense RVU 10.81 changed to 10.80
    • Malpractice RVU 0.63 changed to 0.62
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.930 changed to 0.931
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.768 changed to 0.732

    Held through RVU17B, RVU17C, RVU17D.

  12. January 1, 2016

    RVU16A

    $593.56changed to$592.82

    • Conversion factor 35.9335 changed to 35.8043
    • Practice expense RVU 10.76 changed to 10.81
    • Malpractice RVU 0.64 changed to 0.63

    Held through RVU16B, RVU16C, RVU16D.

  13. July 1, 2015

    RVU15C

    $590.61changed to$593.56

    • Conversion factor 35.7547 changed to 35.9335

    Held through RVU15D.

  14. January 1, 2015

    RVU15A

    $587.53changed to$590.61

    • Conversion factor 35.8228 changed to 35.7547
    • Practice expense RVU 10.67 changed to 10.76
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.929 changed to 0.930
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.732 changed to 0.768

    Held through RVU15B.

  15. January 1, 2014

    RVU14A

    $590.30changed to$587.53

    • Conversion factor 34.0230 changed to 35.8228
    • Practice expense RVU 11.72 changed to 10.67
    • Malpractice RVU 0.67 changed to 0.64
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.927 changed to 0.929
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.695 changed to 0.732

    Held through RVU14B, RVU14C, RVU14D.

  16. January 1, 2013

    RVU13AR

    Earliest loaded release: $590.30

    Held through RVU13B, RVU13C, RVU13D.

Rates in every CMS release
Effective fromOfficeFacilityCMS release
2026-10-01$576.12$395.06RVU26D
2026-07-01$576.12$395.06RVU26C
2026-04-01$576.12$395.06RVU26B
2026-01-01$576.12$395.06RVU26A
2025-10-01$549.36$407.08RVU25D
2025-07-01$549.36$407.08RVU25C
2025-04-01$549.36$407.08RVU25B
2025-01-01$549.36$407.08RVU25A
2024-10-01$568.55$416.28RVU24D
2024-07-01$568.55$416.28RVU24C
2024-04-01$568.55$416.28RVU24B
2024-03-09$568.55$416.28RVU24AR
2024-01-01$559.27$409.49RVU24A
2023-10-01$575.00$417.94RVU23D
2023-07-01$575.00$417.94RVU23C
2023-04-01$575.00$417.94RVU23B
2023-01-01$575.00$417.94RVU23A
2022-10-01$586.36$422.58RVU22D
2022-07-01$586.36$422.58RVU22C
2022-04-01$586.36$422.58RVU22B
2022-01-01$586.36$422.58RVU22A
2021-10-01$597.13$422.92RVU21D
2021-07-01$597.13$422.92RVU21C
2021-04-01$597.13$422.92RVU21B
2021-01-01$597.13$422.92RVU21A
2020-10-01$600.92$429.41RVU20D
2020-07-01$600.92$429.41RVU20C
2020-04-01$600.92$429.41RVU20B
2020-01-01$600.92$429.41RVU20A
2019-10-01$600.13$427.67RVU19D
2019-07-01$600.13$427.67RVU19C
2019-04-01$600.13$427.67RVU19B
2019-01-01$600.13$427.67RVU19A
2018-10-01$596.21$424.61RVU18D
2018-07-01$596.21$424.61RVU18C
2018-04-01$596.21$424.61RVU18B
2018-01-01$596.21$424.61RVU18AR1
2017-10-01$593.19$423.12RVU17D
2017-07-01$593.19$423.12RVU17C
2017-04-01$593.19$423.12RVU17B
2017-01-01$593.19$423.12RVU17A
2016-10-01$592.82$423.33RVU16D
2016-07-01$592.82$423.33RVU16C
2016-04-01$592.82$423.33RVU16B
2016-01-01$592.82$423.33RVU16A
2015-10-01$593.56$423.46RVU15D
2015-07-01$593.56$423.46RVU15C
2015-04-01$590.61$421.36RVU15B
2015-01-01$590.61$421.36RVU15A
2014-10-01$587.53$420.46RVU14D
2014-07-01$587.53$420.46RVU14C
2014-04-01$587.53$420.46RVU14B
2014-01-01$587.53$420.46RVU14A
2013-10-01$590.30$414.94RVU13D
2013-07-01$590.30$414.94RVU13C
2013-04-01$590.30$414.94RVU13B
2013-01-01$590.30$414.94RVU13AR

Price 28288 for an earlier date of service

Where the North Carolina rate applies

North Carolina is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 785 cities and communities in North Carolina. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

  • Aberdeen
  • Advance
  • Ahoskie
  • Alamance
  • Albemarle
  • Alexis
  • Alliance
  • Altamahaw

Browse all communities in North Carolina

28288 billing questions

How does 28288 differ from 28124?

28288 addresses partial removal at the head of a toe phalanx. 28124 is used for partial bone excision from a toe phalanx at a different site.

Is 28288 the code for hammertoe correction?

No. 28288 reports bone removal at a toe phalanx head; 28285 reports hammertoe correction. Use the code that matches the procedure actually performed and documented.

Does the 90-day global period include postoperative visits?

Yes. Related postoperative care for 90 days and the preoperative visit on the day before surgery are included in the global period.

Can modifier 50 be used when both feet are treated?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 28288. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures performed in the same session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.

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
RVUs for 28288PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,170 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for North CarolinaGPCI2026.csv, line 83 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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