Billing code 28070: Foot synovectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Minnesota
Removal of diseased synovial lining from a tarsometatarsal joint, typically for persistent proliferative synovitis requiring surgical treatment.
Medicare pays $514.51 for 28070 in the office in Minnesota (Minnesota). 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 28070 covers
The surgeon removes abnormal synovial tissue from a tarsometatarsal joint, where the metatarsal bases meet the midfoot bones. This may be performed for persistent synovitis with inflamed or proliferative joint lining, including inflammatory disease affecting the midfoot. A foot and ankle or orthopedic surgeon typically performs the operation in an operating room.
Report 28070 when the operative work removes synovium from a tarsometatarsal joint; a limited diagnostic tissue sample is not the same service. The operative note should identify the joint and document the synovial tissue removed. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When other procedures subject to multiple-procedure reduction are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay for an assistant at surgery, co-surgeons, or team surgery for this code.
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.
28070 in Minnesota
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $514.51 | $318.60 |
How the 28070 rate is calculated
Each of 28070’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 · 28070
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work5.11
5.11 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense9.84
9.84 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.57
0.57 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
15.5200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$518.38
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 28070
28070 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 28070
Foot synovectomy
| 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) | 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. |
| 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 · 28070
Foot synovectomy
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 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
28070 without 51 · national office
$518.38
Foot synovectomy
28070-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$259.19
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%).
28070 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 28072Joint synovectomy
- 28072 is for synovectomy at a metatarsophalangeal joint. 28070 applies to a tarsometatarsal joint.
- 28050Joint biopsy
- 28050 describes biopsy of foot-joint lining. Choose 28070 when the surgeon removes diseased synovium rather than taking a diagnostic sample.
- 28052Joint biopsy
- 28052 is a foot-joint lining biopsy service. 28070 represents synovectomy of a tarsometatarsal joint, not biopsy alone.
28070 billing questions
How is 28070 distinguished from 28072?
28070 is for synovectomy of a tarsometatarsal joint. 28072 applies to a metatarsophalangeal joint, so use the joint documented in the operative report.
Can 28070 be reported for a synovial biopsy?
Use 28070 when the surgeon removes synovial tissue as a synovectomy. A procedure limited to obtaining tissue for diagnosis is a biopsy service instead.
Should modifier 50 be appended for bilateral procedures?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code's descriptor or anatomy.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are paid at 50%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, co-surgeons, or team surgery for 28070.
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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