Billing code 28111: Metatarsal excisionMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $472.96 for 28111 nationally in the office and $302.28 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $423.59–$609.69.

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

What 28111 covers

The surgeon removes a limited portion of the head of the first metatarsal, the long bone behind the great toe. This may address a painful prominence or localized bone problem. The procedure is performed by a foot and ankle surgeon or other qualified surgeon, commonly in an operating room or ambulatory surgery center. The operative report should identify the first metatarsal and describe the portion removed and the reason for excision.

Select this code when the work is a partial resection of the first metatarsal head, rather than a resection of another metatarsal or removal of the whole bone. Medicare assigns 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 is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; 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.

Where 28111 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

28111 rates by state

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

How the 28111 rate is calculated

Each of 28111’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 28111

28111 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

28111 compared with similar codes

How to choose

28110Metatarsal resection

28110 addresses partial resection of the fifth metatarsal head; this code is for the first metatarsal head.

28140Metatarsal excision

28140 describes removal of a metatarsal, while this code is limited to partial resection of the first metatarsal head.

28296Bunion correction

Choose 28296 when hallux valgus is corrected with a distal metatarsal osteotomy. This code describes partial excision of the first metatarsal head.

Codes related to 28111

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