Billing code 28005: Foot bone treatmentMedicare rate & RVUs in Alabama
Report this operation when a surgeon incises the cortex of a foot bone to treat a process such as osteomyelitis or bone abscess.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 28005 in Alabama.
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 9 sections
What 28005 covers
billing code 28005 describes an operative incision through the cortex of a foot bone to treat a bone process such as osteomyelitis or a bone abscess. An orthopedic or foot-and-ankle surgeon, including a podiatric surgeon, typically performs it in an operating room, exposing the involved bone for treatment. The target is bone itself, rather than an overlying bursa, fascia, joint lining, or soft-tissue mass.
Document the bone and site involved, the diagnosis and operative findings, and the bone-directed work performed. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; 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.
28005 in Alabama
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Unavailable | $496.41 |
How the 28005 rate is calculated
Each of 28005’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 · 28005
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 9.20Practice expense 5.85Malpractice 0.96
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 28005
28005 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 28005
Foot bone treatment
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| 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. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 28005
Foot bone treatment
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
28005 without 51 · national facility
$534.75
Foot bone treatment
28005-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$267.38
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
28005 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
28005 vs 28002 vs 28008 vs 28039: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 28002Foot infection drainage
- 28002 treats a foot infection at a non-bone site; 28005 is selected when the operative incision is through bone cortex for a bone process.
- 28008Fascia release
- 28008 is directed at foot fascia. Choose 28005 when the treated structure is the cortex of a foot bone.
- 28039Tumor excision
- 28039 concerns a subcutaneous soft-tissue tumor of the foot or toe. It does not describe incision of bone cortex for osteomyelitis or bone abscess.
28005 billing questions
How is 28005 distinguished from foot infection drainage codes?
Use 28005 when the operative target is the bone cortex, such as for osteomyelitis or a bone abscess. Codes 28002 and 28003 concern treatment of foot infection rather than incision of bone cortex.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for this code?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inapplicable because the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is 28005 paid when another procedure is done in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 28005. 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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