CPT code 28298: Bunion correction, proximal phalanx osteotomy2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Merced, CA

In Merced, CA, Medicare pays $904.54 for 28298 in the office and $491.24 when it’s performed in a hospital or facility.

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 28298 nationwide

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

What 28298 covers

An orthopedic or podiatric surgeon performs this operation to correct hallux valgus by making an osteotomy in the proximal phalanx of the great toe. The bone cut helps adjust toe alignment as part of the bunion correction. The procedure is typically performed in an operating room for a symptomatic deformity selected for surgical treatment.

Report 28298 when the operative technique includes a proximal phalanx osteotomy; the diagnosis alone does not determine code selection. The operative report should describe the hallux valgus correction, the osteotomy, and the side treated. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 results in payment at 150% for bilateral performance. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 Merced, CA compares for 28298

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the office rate for 28298 runs from $763.32 in Arkansas to $1,126.91 in San Benito County, CA. Merced, CA pays $904.54. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

Every other payment area

28298 rates by state

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

See 28298 in every payment locality

How the 28298 rate is calculated

Each of 28298’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 28298

28298 has a 90-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

Codes related to 28298

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

How 28298 has changed in Merced, CA

Price 28298 for an earlier date of service

Where the Merced, CA rate applies

Merced, CA is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 24 cities and communities in California. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

• Merced
• Atwater
• Ballico
• Bear Creek
• Cressey
• Delhi
• Dos Palos
• Dos Palos Y

Browse all communities in California

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