Billing code 29200: Chest strappingMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Report thoracic strapping when supportive tape is applied to the chest wall to limit movement or support the area after a musculoskeletal injury.
Medicare pays $38.79 for 29200 in the office in Alaska (Alaska*). 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 29200 covers
Code 29200 represents application of supportive tape to the thorax, generally to limit chest-wall movement or support the area after a musculoskeletal injury such as a rib injury. A physician or other qualified practitioner performs the strapping in an office or outpatient setting. The treated area must be the thorax, rather than the shoulder, arm, hand, or fingers.
Select the code by the anatomy treated. Document the indication, thoracic site, and strapping application. Medicare assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are paid at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, 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.
29200 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | $38.79 | $21.71 |
How the 29200 rate is calculated
Each of 29200’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 · 29200
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.38Practice expense 0.55Malpractice 0.01
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29200
The CMS indicators that decide how 29200 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 29200
Chest strapping
| 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
29200 without 51 · national office
$31.40
Chest strapping
29200-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$15.70
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%).
29200 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
29200 vs 29240 vs 29260 vs 29280: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 29240Shoulder strapping
- Choose 29240 when the strapping is applied to the shoulder. Code 29200 is for strapping of the thorax.
- 29260Joint strapping
- Choose 29260 for strapping of the elbow or wrist; use 29200 when the treated area is the thorax.
- 29280Hand strapping
- Choose 29280 for strapping of the hand or fingers, not for thoracic strapping.
29200 billing questions
When should I choose 29200 instead of another strapping code?
Use 29200 when the strapping is applied to the thorax. Strapping of the shoulder, elbow or wrist, or hand or fingers belongs to a different site-specific code.
Is same-day evaluation and management included?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. Document the thoracic strapping and the reason for it.
Should modifier 50 be appended for strapping on both sides of the chest?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code under the CMS bilateral adjustment rule.
How is 29200 affected when another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and the other procedure or procedures are paid at 50% under the standard multiple procedure reduction.
Can an assistant, co-surgeon, or surgical team be paid for this service?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 29200. 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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