$446.65
Choose 28230 for open division of a flexor tendon in the foot. Code 28234 is for an extensor tendon.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
28234 Extensor tenotomy Medicare reimbursement rates in Colorado
Reports open division of one extensor tendon in the foot or toe to reduce tendon pull contributing to a deformity or contracture. Compare 28234 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Colorado.
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 28234 in Colorado?
Colorado has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$428.70
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Colorado
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$268.07
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Colorado
One mapped payment locality.
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.
Foot surgery
About 28234: Open extensor tendon division, foot or toe
Reports open division of one extensor tendon in the foot or toe to reduce tendon pull contributing to a deformity or contracture.
The surgeon makes an incision to expose and divide a single extensor tendon in the foot or toe. This may be performed by an orthopedic or podiatric surgeon to reduce tendon pull contributing to a deformity or contracture. The procedure is distinct from freeing a tendon from adhesions and from repairing a damaged tendon. It is typically performed in an operating room or outpatient surgical setting.
Report the code for one extensor tendon divided through an open approach; document the tendon and site, the clinical problem, and the work performed. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 28234
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are 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 adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- 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 RVU3.45 · 28%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.51 · 69%
- Malpractice RVU0.37 · 3%
4.6K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1933 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.
28234 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Colorado, from the same CMS release.
$388.88
Code 28232 describes open division of a flexor tendon in a toe; 28234 describes division of an extensor tendon.
$562.59
Code 28222 frees an extensor tendon from adhesions. Code 28234 divides the tendon itself.
$568.16
Code 28285 reports hammertoe correction. Do not use 28234 for tendon work that is part of that correction.
Compare 28234 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.
1 of 1 payment localities
Colorado →
Office / nonfacility
$428.70
Facility
$268.07
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 28234 in Colorado.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,157
- Code
- 28234
- Physician work
- 3.45
- Practice expense
- 8.51
- Malpractice
- 0.37
GPCI2026.csv
37
- Locality
- Colorado
- Physician work
- 1.012
- Practice expense
- 1.064
- Malpractice
- 0.781
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 3.45 | × 1.012 | 3.4914 |
| Practice expense | 8.51 | × 1.064 | 9.0546 |
| Malpractice | 0.37 | × 0.781 | 0.2890 |
| Total RVUs | 12.8350 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Colorado$428.70
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 3.45 | 1.012 |
| Practice expense | 8.51 | 1.064 |
| Malpractice | 0.37 | 0.781 |
(3.45 × 1.012 + 8.51 × 1.064 + 0.37 × 0.781) × $33.4009 = $428.70
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 3.45 | 1.012 |
| Practice expense | 3.99 | 1.064 |
| Malpractice | 0.37 | 0.781 |
(3.45 × 1.012 + 3.99 × 1.064 + 0.37 × 0.781) × $33.4009 = $268.07
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
28234 billing questions
How does this differ from code 28230?
Code 28234 is for dividing an extensor tendon. Code 28230 describes an open division of a flexor tendon in the foot.
When is code 28232 a closer fit?
Code 28232 describes an open division of a flexor tendon in a toe. Code 28234 is for an extensor tendon.
Can code 28234 be reported with hammertoe correction?
Do not separately report it for tendon division that is part of the hammertoe correction. Documentation should support a distinct tendon procedure rather than repeating work included in the correction.
What documentation supports the code?
Record the foot or toe site, the specific extensor tendon divided, the open approach, and the deformity or other clinical reason for the procedure.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral procedures?
No. The descriptor or anatomy makes bilateral adjustment inappropriate for this code.
Is an assistant or co-surgeon payable?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. 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.
3,15428226,,Release of foot tendons,A,,4.55,14.39,,6.17,,0.98,19.92,11.70,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,15528230,,Incision of foot tendon(s),A,,4.25,8.21,,3.40,,0.43,12.89,8.08,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,15628232,,Incision of toe tendon,A,,3.42,7.44,,3.16,,0.34,11.20,6.92,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,15728234,,Incision of foot tendon,A,,3.45,8.51,,3.99,,0.37,12.33,7.81,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,15828238,,Revision of foot tendon,A,,7.76,11.81,,5.04,,0.95,20.52,13.75,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,15928240,,Release of big toe,A,,4.37,8.37,,3.48,,0.44,13.18,8.29,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,16028250,,Revision of foot fascia,A,,5.91,11.20,,4.84,,0.83,17.94,11.58,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3401112,CA,69,VISALIA,1.017,1.096,0.536
3501112,CA,70,YUBA CITY,1.017,1.096,0.536
3601112,CA,75,REST OF CALIFORNIA,1.017,1.096,0.536
3704112,CO,01,COLORADO,1.012,1.064,0.781
3813102,CT,00,CONNECTICUT,1.020,1.077,1.210
3912202,DC,01,DC + MD/VA SUBURBS,1.054,1.178,1.113
4012102,DE,01,DELAWARE,1.005,0.988,0.899