Billing code 28008: Fascia releaseMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $422.19 for 28008 nationally in the office and $276.23 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $378.82–$546.10.

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

What 28008 covers

This service involves surgically incising foot fascia to release tension; a familiar example is plantar fasciotomy for persistent plantar fasciitis. An orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon or podiatric surgeon typically performs it in an operating room or ambulatory surgery setting. The operative technique is a release, not removal of a portion or all of the plantar fascia.

Select the code when the operative report supports an incision or release of fascia and identifies the treated site and side. Document the indication and the actual procedure performed; distinguish release from partial or more extensive fascial excision. 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 other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing 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 28008 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

28008 rates by state

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

How the 28008 rate is calculated

Each of 28008’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 28008

28008 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

28008 compared with similar codes

How to choose

28060Plantar fascia surgery

Choose 28060 when the surgeon partially removes plantar fascia. Choose 28008 when the documented work is an incision and release without partial fascial excision.

28062Plantar fasciectomy

28062 describes more extensive removal of plantar fascia. It is not the choice for a release performed by incision alone.

28250Foot fascia surgery

28250 describes division of plantar fascia and muscle, including Steindler stripping. 28008 is for incision of foot fascia without that broader muscle procedure.

Codes related to 28008

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