Billing code 29065: Cast applicationMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports application of a long-arm cast extending from the shoulder region to the hand to immobilize the elbow and forearm.
Medicare pays $107.81–$119.94 for 29065 in the office in Florida, from Rest Of Florida to Miami. 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 29065 covers
This service applies a rigid long-arm cast extending from the upper arm or shoulder region to the hand to immobilize the elbow and forearm. Orthopedic clinicians and emergency or urgent-care physicians commonly use it for injuries requiring control of elbow motion, such as selected elbow or forearm fractures, when a cast rather than a removable support is chosen. The code represents cast application, not fracture evaluation, reduction, or ongoing fracture management.
Select 29065 by the documented cast extent, not simply the diagnosis: the cast must reach from shoulder to hand. Record the indication, laterality, and extent. When fracture treatment is reported, the initial cast application is part of that treatment and should not be separately reported as 29065. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, including same-day preoperative and postoperative care. In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. For bilateral application, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery is not paid; 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.
Where 29065 pays more and less in Florida
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
3 payment localities
$107.81 to $119.94
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | $113.77 | $69.45 |
| Miami | $119.94 | $74.39 |
| Rest Of Florida | $107.81 | $65.98 |
How the 29065 rate is calculated
Each of 29065’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 · 29065
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.85Practice expense 2.22Malpractice 0.17
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29065
The CMS indicators that decide how 29065 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 29065
Cast application
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| 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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
29065 without 50 · national office
$108.22
Cast application
29065-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$162.33
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
29065 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
29065 vs 29075 vs 29085 vs 29105: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 29075Cast application
- Choose 29075 for a short-arm cast extending from the elbow to the fingers. Choose 29065 when the cast reaches from the shoulder region to the hand.
- 29085Gauntlet cast
- 29085 describes a gauntlet cast covering the hand and lower forearm. It does not describe the shoulder-to-hand extent of 29065.
- 29105Splint application
- Both describe long-arm immobilization, but 29105 is for a splint and 29065 is for a cast.
29065 billing questions
How does 29065 differ from 29075?
29065 describes a long-arm cast extending from the shoulder region to the hand. 29075 is for a short-arm cast extending from the elbow to the fingers.
Can 29065 be reported separately with fracture treatment?
No. When fracture treatment is reported, the initial cast application is part of that treatment and should not be separately reported as 29065.
What documentation supports 29065?
Document the clinical indication, laterality, and cast extent. The record should support that the cast extends from the shoulder region to the hand.
How is bilateral long-arm cast application reported?
For bilateral application, use modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
What happens when 29065 is performed with another procedure in the same session?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are paid at 50%.
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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