$77.64–$114.09
Choose 29405 for application of a short leg cast. Choose 29440 when the cast is already applied and the service adds a walking support.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
29440 Cast walker Medicare reimbursement rates
Report this service when a clinician adds a walking support to a cast that has already been applied, allowing the patient to bear weight on it. Compare 29440 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 29440?
The service location and office or facility setting determine which base rate applies. These are the supported base rates for the 109 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$39.94–$55.85
109 of 109 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Arkansas
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $15.91 per service.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Where 29440 pays more and less
109 payment localities
$39.94 to $55.85
Orthopedic casting
About 29440: Walking support added to existing cast
Report this service when a clinician adds a walking support to a cast that has already been applied, allowing the patient to bear weight on it.
This service modifies an existing cast by adding a walking support, such as a walker or walking heel, so the patient can bear weight on the cast. It is typically performed in an orthopedic or podiatry clinic or cast room when a lower-extremity cast is being converted for walking after its initial application.
Report 29440 for the addition to the previously applied cast, not for applying a new walking cast. Documentation should identify the existing cast, the support added, the treated side, and the clinical reason for the modification. 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 the others at 50%. For a bilateral service reported with modifier 50, payment is 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 29440
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.56 · 42%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.71 · 54%
- Malpractice RVU0.05 · 4%
14
Medicare services in 2024 · #6094 by national volume
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.
29440 compared with similar codes
Office rate ranges across all CMS payment localities, from the same CMS release.
$72.07–$105.18
29425 covers application of a short leg walking cast. 29440 covers adding a walker to a previously applied cast.
$122.30–$180.83
29435 is for application of a patellar tendon-bearing cast. It is not the code for adding a walking support to an existing cast.
See how rates vary across the country
29440 · Office / nonfacility · Non-QP. Choose a state to explore its payment localities. A range means the amount varies within that state.
Explore a state
Local rates. Clear comparisons.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
$39.94
$54.23
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $54.23 | 1 |
| AL | $40.40 | 1 |
| AR | $39.94 | 1 |
| AZ | $43.11 | 1 |
| CA | $45.91–$55.85 | 29 |
| CO | $45.47 | 1 |
| CT | $46.64 | 1 |
| DC | $49.51 | 1 |
| DE | $43.73 | 1 |
| FL | $43.89–$47.61 | 3 |
| GA | $41.85–$44.86 | 2 |
| GU | $46.64 | 1 |
| HI | $46.64 | 1 |
| IA | $41.07 | 1 |
| ID | $41.31 | 1 |
| IL | $42.97–$46.50 | 4 |
| IN | $41.50 | 1 |
| KS | $40.98 | 1 |
| KY | $41.31 | 1 |
| LA | $41.29–$42.92 | 2 |
| MA | $45.31–$49.27 | 2 |
| MD | $44.42–$49.51 | 3 |
| ME | $41.56–$43.26 | 2 |
| MI | $42.24–$44.40 | 2 |
| MN | $43.60 | 1 |
| MO | $40.77–$42.95 | 3 |
| MS | $40.36 | 1 |
| MT | $44.09 | 1 |
| NC | $41.90 | 1 |
| ND | $43.10 | 1 |
| NE | $41.22 | 1 |
| NH | $44.85 | 1 |
| NJ | $47.18–$49.18 | 2 |
| NM | $42.46 | 1 |
| NV | $43.83 | 1 |
| NY | $42.41–$51.20 | 5 |
| OH | $42.04 | 1 |
| OK | $41.18 | 1 |
| OR | $43.50–$46.59 | 2 |
| PA | $42.05–$45.72 | 2 |
| PR | $44.32 | 1 |
| RI | $45.05 | 1 |
| SC | $42.04 | 1 |
| SD | $42.98 | 1 |
| TN | $41.16 | 1 |
| TX | $41.84–$45.31 | 8 |
| UT | $42.50 | 1 |
| VA | $43.20–$49.51 | 2 |
| VI | $44.32 | 1 |
| VT | $43.03 | 1 |
| WA | $45.19–$50.10 | 2 |
| WI | $41.94 | 1 |
| WV | $41.70 | 1 |
| WY | $43.65 | 1 |
Compare 29440 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
109 of 109 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Office $40.40 | Facility $24.33 |
| Alaska* | Office $54.23 | Facility $34.67 |
| Arizona | Office $43.11 | Facility $25.31 |
| Arkansas | Office $39.94 | Facility $24.16 |
| Atlanta | Office $44.86 | Facility $26.20 |
| Austin | Office $45.31 | Facility $25.88 |
| Bakersfield | Office $46.07 | Facility $25.93 |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | Office $46.52 | Facility $26.80 |
| Beaumont | Office $41.84 | Facility $25.12 |
| Brazoria | Office $43.66 | Facility $25.45 |
| Chicago | Office $46.50 | Facility $28.04 |
| Chico | Office $45.91 | Facility $25.77 |
| Colorado | Office $45.47 | Facility $25.92 |
| Connecticut | Office $46.64 | Facility $26.85 |
| Dallas | Office $43.93 | Facility $25.63 |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Office $49.51 | Facility $27.87 |
| Delaware | Office $43.73 | Facility $25.58 |
| Detroit | Office $44.40 | Facility $26.68 |
| East St. Louis | Office $43.89 | Facility $26.98 |
| El Centro | Office $45.92 | Facility $25.78 |
| Fort Lauderdale | Office $45.75 | Facility $27.14 |
| Fort Worth | Office $43.71 | Facility $25.60 |
| Fresno | Office $45.91 | Facility $25.77 |
| Galveston | Office $43.79 | Facility $25.54 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office $45.91 | Facility $25.77 |
| Hawaii, Guam | Office $46.64 | Facility $25.75 |
| Houston | Office $44.70 | Facility $26.46 |
| Idaho | Office $41.31 | Facility $24.41 |
| Indiana | Office $41.50 | Facility $24.47 |
| Iowa | Office $41.07 | Facility $24.26 |
| Kansas | Office $40.98 | Facility $24.38 |
| Kentucky | Office $41.31 | Facility $24.98 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office $48.63 | Facility $26.90 |
| Madera | Office $45.91 | Facility $25.77 |
| Manhattan | Office $50.11 | Facility $28.76 |
| Merced | Office $45.91 | Facility $25.77 |
| Metropolitan Boston | Office $49.27 | Facility $27.34 |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Office $42.60 | Facility $25.35 |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | Office $45.72 | Facility $26.60 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Office $42.95 | Facility $25.47 |
| Miami | Office $47.61 | Facility $28.49 |
| Minnesota | Office $43.60 | Facility $24.70 |
| Mississippi | Office $40.36 | Facility $24.54 |
| Modesto | Office $45.91 | Facility $25.77 |
| Montana** | Office $44.09 | Facility $25.72 |
| Napa | Office $51.99 | Facility $27.77 |
| Nebraska | Office $41.22 | Facility $24.27 |
| Nevada** | Office $43.83 | Facility $25.45 |
| New Hampshire | Office $44.85 | Facility $25.73 |
| New Mexico | Office $42.46 | Facility $25.61 |
| New Orleans | Office $42.92 | Facility $25.63 |
| North Carolina | Office $41.90 | Facility $24.76 |
| North Dakota** | Office $43.10 | Facility $24.73 |
| Northern Nj | Office $49.18 | Facility $27.87 |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | Office $51.20 | Facility $29.36 |
| Ohio | Office $42.04 | Facility $25.27 |
| Oklahoma | Office $41.18 | Facility $24.77 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office $48.30 | Facility $26.59 |
| Portland | Office $46.59 | Facility $26.18 |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | Office $47.53 | Facility $27.42 |
| Puerto Rico | Office $44.32 | Facility $25.75 |
| Queens | Office $50.34 | Facility $28.63 |
| Redding | Office $45.91 | Facility $25.77 |
| Rest Of California | Office $45.91 | Facility $25.77 |
| Rest Of Florida | Office $43.89 | Facility $26.32 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Office $41.85 | Facility $25.46 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Office $42.97 | Facility $26.19 |
| Rest Of Louisiana | Office $41.29 | Facility $25.03 |
| Rest Of Maine | Office $41.56 | Facility $24.66 |
| Rest Of Maryland | Office $44.42 | Facility $25.83 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Office $45.31 | Facility $25.96 |
| Rest Of Michigan | Office $42.24 | Facility $25.47 |
| Rest Of Missouri | Office $40.77 | Facility $24.94 |
| Rest Of New Jersey | Office $47.18 | Facility $27.12 |
| Rest Of New York | Office $42.41 | Facility $24.96 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Office $43.50 | Facility $25.20 |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | Office $42.05 | Facility $25.19 |
| Rest Of Texas | Office $42.72 | Facility $25.28 |
| Rest Of Washington | Office $45.19 | Facility $25.85 |
| Rhode Island | Office $45.05 | Facility $26.07 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office $46.46 | Facility $26.32 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office $47.85 | Facility $26.49 |
| Salinas | Office $47.66 | Facility $26.37 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office $48.53 | Facility $26.56 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office $54.69 | Facility $28.78 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office $54.63 | Facility $28.73 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office $55.85 | Facility $29.36 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office $55.62 | Facility $29.13 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office $46.93 | Facility $26.00 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office $48.81 | Facility $26.49 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office $47.77 | Facility $26.35 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office $49.28 | Facility $26.72 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Office $50.10 | Facility $27.56 |
| South Carolina | Office $42.04 | Facility $25.06 |
| South Dakota** | Office $42.98 | Facility $24.61 |
| Southern Maine | Office $43.26 | Facility $25.05 |
| Stockton | Office $45.91 | Facility $25.77 |
| Suburban Chicago | Office $46.15 | Facility $27.28 |
| Tennessee | Office $41.16 | Facility $24.46 |
| Utah | Office $42.50 | Facility $25.23 |
| Vallejo | Office $51.91 | Facility $27.69 |
| Vermont | Office $43.03 | Facility $24.84 |
| Virgin Islands | Office $44.32 | Facility $25.75 |
| Virginia | Office $43.20 | Facility $25.14 |
| Visalia | Office $45.91 | Facility $25.77 |
| West Virginia | Office $41.70 | Facility $25.74 |
| Wisconsin | Office $41.94 | Facility $24.34 |
| Wyoming** | Office $43.65 | Facility $25.28 |
| Yuba City | Office $45.91 | Facility $25.77 |
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29440 billing questions
How is 29440 different from applying a walking cast?
29440 adds a walking support to a cast that is already in place. Use the applicable cast-application code when the service is applying a new walking cast.
What should the record show?
Document the existing cast, the walking support added, the treated side, and why the cast was modified for weight bearing.
Does the 0-day global period include same-day care?
Yes. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the service.
How is modifier 50 handled for bilateral service?
CMS pays a bilateral service reported with modifier 50 at 150%.
What happens when other procedures are performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are paid at 50%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 29440, and 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 indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
3,29129405,,Appl short leg cast,A,,0.78,1.72,,0.76,,0.13,2.63,1.67,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,29229425,,Appl short leg cast walking,A,,0.78,1.55,,0.66,,0.09,2.42,1.53,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,29329435,,Appl patllr tdn bearing cast,A,,1.15,2.78,,1.04,,0.24,4.17,2.43,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,29429440,,Adding walker to prev cast,A,,0.56,0.71,,0.16,,0.05,1.32,0.77,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,29529445,,Appl rigid tot cntc leg cast,A,,1.74,2.02,,0.77,,0.20,3.96,2.71,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,29629450,,Application clubfoot cast,A,,2.03,2.12,,0.75,,0.21,4.36,2.99,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,29729505,,Application long leg splint,A,,0.67,2.48,,0.84,,0.13,3.28,1.64,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00