Billing code 28045: Foot mass excisionMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $484.98 for 28045 nationally in the office and $329.33 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $435.40–$624.12.

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

What 28045 covers

A foot or ankle surgeon, often an orthopedic surgeon or podiatrist, uses this code for excision of a small mass in the foot or toe that lies in deeper tissue rather than being confined to the subcutaneous layer. The service involves surgically exposing and removing the lesion; the setting may be an operating room or an office procedure setting, depending on the case and resources needed.

Select this code when the documented lesion is in the foot or toe, is deep, and measures less than 1.5 cm. The operative report should identify the site, depth, lesion size, and removal performed; pathology findings may further describe the specimen. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including 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 others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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 28045 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

28045 rates by state

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

How the 28045 rate is calculated

Each of 28045’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 28045

28045 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

28045 compared with similar codes

How to choose

28043Tumor excision

Both codes address a foot or toe lesion under 1.5 cm; choose 28045 for a deep lesion and 28043 when it is subcutaneous.

28041Tumor excision

Both describe excision of a deep foot or toe lesion. The size threshold separates them: 28045 is under 1.5 cm, while 28041 is 1.5 cm or greater.

28046Tumor resection

This code describes excision of a deep lesion under 1.5 cm. Code 28046 is for resection of a foot or toe tumor under 3 cm.

Codes related to 28045

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