CPT code 28415: Heel fracture repair, open treatment2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Open operative reduction of a calcaneal fracture is reported when the heel bone is surgically exposed and repositioned, with fixation when performed.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities1.5K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,048.79 for 28415 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 28415

Heel fracture repair, open treatment

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
15.79
Total RVUs
31.40
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,048.79

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 28415 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 28415 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 28415 covers

An orthopedic surgeon, often a foot and ankle specialist, uses an open approach to expose and reduce a fracture of the calcaneus. Fixation may be used to maintain the reduction. The service is typically performed in a hospital operating room or another surgical facility for a fracture requiring open operative care; the fracture must involve the heel bone rather than the talus or another tarsal bone.

Report the code for the open treatment of the calcaneal fracture, supported by the operative report documenting the fracture site, open approach, reduction, and fixation performed. A calcaneal fracture treated with primary bone grafting belongs to the separate graft-related code, 28420. The 90-day global period includes 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% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires 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.

Where 28415 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

28415 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$955.65
AlaskaUnavailable$1,299.85
ArizonaUnavailable$1,022.40
ArkansasUnavailable$944.13
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$1,075.46
Austin, TXUnavailable$1,064.51
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$1,064.78
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$1,110.13
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$1,003.58
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$1,029.22

28415 rates by state

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

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

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28415 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 28415 rate is calculated

Each of 28415’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 · 28415

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work15.79

15.79 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense12.90

12.90 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice2.71

2.71 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

31.4000

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,048.79

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 28415

28415 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 28415

Heel fracture repair, open treatment

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)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
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 · 28415

Heel fracture repair, open treatment

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 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

28415 without 50 · national facility

$1,048.79

Heel fracture repair, open treatment

28415-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,573.19

Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).

When to use modifier 50

28415 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 28415

    Heel fracture repair, open treatment15.79 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 28420

    Calcaneal fracture repair, with bone graft17.08 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 28406

    Calcaneal fracture repair, percutaneous fixation with manipulation6.4 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 28405

    Heel fracture treatment, with manipulation4.62 wRVU

    $502.02

  • 28445

    Talus fracture surgery, open treatment15.37 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

28420Calcaneal fracture repairWith bone graft
Both address open treatment of a calcaneal fracture; 28420 is distinguished by primary bone grafting.
28406Calcaneal fracture repairPercutaneous fixation with manipulation
Use 28406 for percutaneous skeletal fixation with manipulation. Use 28415 for an open approach to the fracture.
28405Heel fracture treatmentWith manipulation
Code 28405 is closed treatment with manipulation, rather than open operative treatment.
28445Talus fracture surgeryOpen treatment
Code 28445 concerns open treatment of a talus fracture. This code is for a fracture of the calcaneus.

28415 billing questions

How does this differ from 28420?

Use 28415 for open treatment of the calcaneal fracture without the primary bone graft distinction. Code 28420 is the alternative when primary bone grafting is part of the open fracture treatment.

When is 28406 more appropriate?

Code 28406 describes percutaneous skeletal fixation of a calcaneal fracture with manipulation. Use 28415 when the surgeon treats the fracture through an open approach.

How does this differ from 28405 or 28400?

Codes 28400 and 28405 describe closed treatment, respectively without and with manipulation. This code is for open operative treatment of the calcaneal fracture.

What postoperative care is included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

Can this be reported for both heels?

For bilateral calcaneal fracture treatment, modifier 50 applies; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

What supports assistant or co-surgeon reporting?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 28415PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,201 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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