Billing code 29355: Walking castMedicare rate & RVUs
Application of a long-leg walking cast extending from thigh to toes, selected when the cast is configured to permit ambulation during immobilization.
Medicare pays $154.65 for 29355 nationally in the office and $96.86 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $136.64–$198.00.
Medicare rate · 29355
Walking cast
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
- Work RVUs
- 1.49
- Total RVUs
- 4.63
- Global days
- 000
National rate · 2026
$154.65
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 29355 → · 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.
On this page 10 sections
What 29355 covers
This service covers applying a long-leg cast that extends from the thigh to the toes and is configured to permit walking. Orthopedic surgeons and other clinicians who manage musculoskeletal injuries may apply it in an office or other treatment setting when an injury requires immobilization across the knee and lower leg but the patient can ambulate in the cast. Selected lower-extremity fractures are a typical reason for this form of immobilization.
Report the code when the documented cast spans the thigh to the toes and has a walking configuration; a standard long-leg cast without that feature is distinguished by code 29345. Document the treated side, cast extent, walking design, and clinical reason for immobilization. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are reduced to 50%. For bilateral application, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted; 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 29355 pays more and less
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
109 payment localities
$136.64 to $198.00
109 of 109 payment localities
29355 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.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
$136.64
$181.54
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View every state and territory as a table
| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $181.54 | 1 |
| AL | $138.65 | 1 |
| AR | $136.64 | 1 |
| AZ | $150.34 | 1 |
| CA | $160.32–$198.00 | 29 |
| CO | $159.31 | 1 |
| CT | $164.96 | 1 |
| DC | $175.39 | 1 |
| DE | $152.80 | 1 |
| FL | $155.15–$172.86 | 3 |
| GA | $146.12–$158.20 | 2 |
| GU | $163.80 | 1 |
| HI | $163.80 | 1 |
| IA | $140.89 | 1 |
| ID | $142.08 | 1 |
| IL | $151.60–$167.58 | 4 |
| IN | $142.87 | 1 |
| KS | $140.84 | 1 |
| KY | $143.25 | 1 |
| LA | $143.27–$150.28 | 2 |
| MA | $158.61–$174.19 | 2 |
| MD | $155.52–$175.39 | 3 |
| ME | $143.47–$150.34 | 2 |
| MI | $147.54–$157.72 | 2 |
| MN | $150.83 | 1 |
| MO | $141.22–$150.08 | 3 |
| MS | $138.93 | 1 |
| MT | $154.63 | 1 |
| NC | $144.87 | 1 |
| ND | $149.09 | 1 |
| NE | $141.47 | 1 |
| NH | $157.39 | 1 |
| NJ | $166.33–$173.70 | 2 |
| NM | $148.60 | 1 |
| NV | $153.18 | 1 |
| NY | $147.09–$183.90 | 5 |
| OH | $146.41 | 1 |
| OK | $142.34 | 1 |
| OR | $151.49–$163.65 | 2 |
| PA | $146.30–$161.26 | 2 |
| PR | $155.56 | 1 |
| RI | $157.73 | 1 |
| SC | $145.98 | 1 |
| SD | $148.44 | 1 |
| TN | $141.62 | 1 |
| TX | $145.38–$159.22 | 8 |
| UT | $147.96 | 1 |
| VA | $150.27–$175.39 | 2 |
| VI | $155.56 | 1 |
| VT | $149.07 | 1 |
| WA | $158.12–$177.11 | 2 |
| WI | $144.16 | 1 |
| WV | $146.16 | 1 |
| WY | $152.21 | 1 |
How the 29355 rate is calculated
Each of 29355’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 · 29355
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.49Practice expense 2.86Malpractice 0.28
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29355
The CMS indicators that decide how 29355 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 29355
Walking cast
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
29355 without 50 · national office
$154.65
Walking cast
29355-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$231.98
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).
29355 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
29355 vs 29345 vs 29358 vs 29365 vs 29425: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 29345Long-leg cast
- Both involve a long-leg cast extending from thigh to toes. Choose 29355 when the cast is configured for walking; 29345 is for the standard long-leg cast.
- 29358Cast brace
- This code is for a long-leg walking cast. Code 29358 describes application of a long-leg cast brace, a different immobilization approach.
- 29365Cylinder cast
- A cylinder cast is a different cast configuration from the long-leg walking cast reported with 29355.
- 29425Walking cast
- Code 29425 is for a short-leg walking cast. Use 29355 when the cast extends from the thigh to the toes.
29355 billing questions
How does this differ from code 29345?
Use 29355 when the long-leg cast is configured for walking. Code 29345 describes a long-leg cast without that walking designation.
What documentation supports reporting 29355?
Document that the cast extends from the thigh to the toes, is configured for walking, and is needed for the treated injury. Record the side treated.
Is same-day care included?
Yes. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
How is bilateral application reported?
Report modifier 50 for bilateral application. CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
How does the multiple procedure rule affect payment?
When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are paid at 50%.
Can an assistant or surgical team be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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
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