Billing code 29720: Cast repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Alabama
Report repair of a damaged body spica cast or jacket when the existing immobilization is restored rather than removed or revised.
Medicare pays $87.23 for 29720 in the office in Alabama (Alabama). Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 29720 covers
This service covers restoring a damaged body spica cast or jacket so it can continue to immobilize the torso and affected body area. It may involve reinforcing or replacing a damaged section while preserving the existing cast. Orthopedic clinicians commonly provide or direct this cast care in an office or other treatment setting when a cast has cracked, softened, or otherwise lost structural integrity.
Select this code when the documented work repairs the existing spica cast or jacket, rather than removing it or changing its shape or access. The note should identify the cast, the damage, and the repair performed. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur 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; assistant-at-surgery services are not paid, and 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.
29720 in Alabama
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $87.23 | $35.21 |
How the 29720 rate is calculated
Each of 29720’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 · 29720
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.66
0.66 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.14
2.14 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.14
0.14 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
2.9400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$98.20
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29720
The CMS indicators that decide how 29720 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 29720
Cast repair
| 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) | 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
29720 without 51 · national office
$98.20
Cast repair
29720-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$49.10
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%).
29720 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 29710Spica cast removal
- 29710 describes removal of a shoe or hip spica cast; 29720 is for repairing a body spica cast or jacket that remains in use.
- 29730Cast adjustment
- Use 29730 when creating an opening in a cast for access. Use 29720 when restoring damaged cast material.
- 29740Cast wedging
- 29740 is for changing cast alignment or shape by wedging. It is not the repair code for a damaged body spica cast or jacket.
- 29799Unlisted px casting/strpg
- 29799 is an unlisted casting or strapping service for work without a specific code. Use 29720 when the documented service is repair of a body spica cast or jacket.
29720 billing questions
When should 29720 be chosen over cast removal?
Use 29720 when the existing body spica cast or jacket is repaired and remains in use. If the cast is removed, select the applicable removal service instead.
Is opening a cast the same as repairing it?
No. Use the cast-windowing service when the work creates an access opening; 29720 describes repair of damage to the existing body cast or jacket.
How does repair differ from cast wedging?
Repair restores damaged cast material. Wedging changes cast alignment or shape, so report the service that matches the work documented.
Can modifier 50 be reported for repair on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; modifier 50 should not be used.
What documentation supports 29720?
Document the body spica cast or jacket, the damage, and how the existing cast was restored. The record should make clear that the service was repair, not removal, windowing, or wedging.
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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