Billing code 28119: Heel spur removalMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $530.41 for 28119 nationally in the office and $346.03 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $474.37–$686.89.

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

What 28119 covers

A foot-and-ankle surgeon or podiatrist uses this service to remove a calcaneal spur associated with persistent heel symptoms, commonly a plantar spur in a patient with chronic plantar heel pain. The operation may include release of the plantar fascia when the surgeon performs it with spur removal. It is generally performed in an operating room or ambulatory surgery setting after conservative treatment has not resolved the problem.

Report the code when the operative work removes a heel spur, rather than a broader portion of the calcaneus or a bone lesion. The operative note should identify the spur's location and describe its removal; document plantar fascial release if performed. A 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur 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%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, co-surgeons require 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 28119 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

28119 rates by state

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

How the 28119 rate is calculated

Each of 28119’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 28119

28119 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

28119 compared with similar codes

How to choose

28118Heel bone resection

Choose 28119 for removal of a calcaneal spur. Choose 28118 for calcaneal ostectomy when the operative target is not a spur.

28120Bone excision

28120 describes partial excision of the talus or calcaneus; 28119 is specific to removal of a calcaneal spur.

28100Bone lesion excision

28100 is for excision or curettage of a bone cyst or benign tumor in the talus or calcaneus, not a heel spur.

Codes related to 28119

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