Billing code 29730: Cast adjustmentMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Report this service when a clinician creates a localized opening in an existing cast to access underlying skin, a wound, or an incision.
Medicare pays $80.05 for 29730 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 29730 covers
Cast windowing creates a localized opening in an existing cast so a clinician can reach the skin, wound, or incision beneath it while the remaining cast stays in place. Orthopedic clinicians managing fractures commonly perform it in an office or facility when access to a specific area is needed without removing the entire cast. The opening is the service; cast removal, repair, or a change in alignment describes a different procedure.
Report 29730 when documentation identifies the cast and the location and purpose of the opening. CMS 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 other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code, 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.
29730 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | $80.05 | $49.81 |
How the 29730 rate is calculated
Each of 29730’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 · 29730
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.73
0.73 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.16
1.16 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.12
0.12 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
2.0100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$67.14
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29730
The CMS indicators that decide how 29730 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 29730
Cast adjustment
| 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
29730 without 51 · national office
$67.14
Cast adjustment
29730-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$33.57
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%).
29730 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 29740Cast wedging
- Use 29730 for a localized opening to access the underlying skin or wound. Use 29740 when the cast is wedged to adjust alignment.
- 29750Cast wedging
- This code is for wedging a clubfoot cast. 29730 describes an access opening in an existing cast, not an alignment adjustment.
- 29705Cast removal
- Use 29705 for removal or bivalving of a full arm or leg cast. 29730 describes an opening that leaves the rest of the cast in place.
29730 billing questions
How is cast windowing different from cast wedging?
Windowing creates an opening for access to skin or a wound beneath the cast. Wedging modifies cast alignment; it is reported with the applicable wedging code instead.
Does this code describe removal of the cast?
No. It describes creating a localized opening while the rest of the cast remains in place. Use the applicable cast-removal code when the cast is removed or bivalved.
What documentation supports reporting 29730?
Document the cast being modified, the location and purpose of the opening, and that the opening was performed. A note describing only inspection or cast application does not establish this service.
Should modifier 50 be used for openings on both sides?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code under the CMS bilateral adjustment rule.
How does CMS handle other procedures performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in this code's 0-day global period.
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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