CPT code 28705: Pantalar fusion2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Reports surgical fusion of the ankle and hindfoot joints for extensive painful arthritis, deformity, or instability involving the pantalar complex.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 28705 in Illinois.
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 28705 covers
Pantalar arthrodesis fuses the ankle and hindfoot joints—the tibiotalar, subtalar, talonavicular, and calcaneocuboid articulations—into a stable construct. A foot-and-ankle orthopedic surgeon typically performs this extensive operation for severe painful arthritis, deformity, or instability involving the joint complex, including selected post-traumatic or neuromuscular cases.
Report the service when the operative documentation supports fusion of the ankle and the hindfoot articulations, rather than a more limited fusion. Document the treated joints, indication, and laterality. The procedure has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 28705 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | Unavailable | $1,247.43 |
| East St. Louis | Unavailable | $1,184.65 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Unavailable | $1,135.41 |
| Suburban Chicago | Unavailable | $1,200.60 |
How the 28705 rate is calculated
Each of 28705’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 · 28705
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work19.82
19.82 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense10.20
10.20 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.11
3.11 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
33.1300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,106.57
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 28705
28705 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 28705
Pantalar fusion
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 28705
Pantalar fusion
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
28705 without 50 · national facility
$1,106.57
Pantalar fusion
28705-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,659.86
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).
28705 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 28715Hindfoot fusion
- Choose pantalar fusion when the ankle is included along with the hindfoot joints. Triple arthrodesis covers the hindfoot fusion without the ankle.
- 28725Subtalar fusion
- This code is for fusion limited to the subtalar joint; pantalar fusion covers the ankle and broader hindfoot complex.
- 28730Midfoot fusion
- This code concerns multiple midtarsal or tarsometatarsal joints, not the ankle-and-hindfoot fusion addressed by pantalar arthrodesis.
28705 billing questions
How does pantalar fusion differ from triple arthrodesis?
Pantalar fusion includes the ankle joint as well as the hindfoot joints. Triple arthrodesis is the more limited choice when the ankle is not included in the fusion.
Can the individual hindfoot fusions be reported separately?
When the operative service is a pantalar fusion, the included ankle and hindfoot joints are part of that fusion service. The operative report should identify the joints fused.
How is bilateral pantalar fusion reported?
Use modifier 50 for a bilateral procedure. CMS payment for bilateral reporting is 150%.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is 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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