CPT code 29445: Total contact cast2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Minnesota
Reports application of a rigid total contact leg cast, commonly used to off-load a plantar foot ulcer by distributing pressure across the foot.
Medicare pays $129.52 for 29445 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 29445 covers
A rigid total contact cast is molded closely around the foot and lower leg to distribute pressure and limit movement. Podiatrists, orthopedists, and wound care clinicians most often apply it to off-load a plantar foot ulcer, including a neuropathic ulcer, in an office or facility setting. The close-fitting cast can support protected ambulation while reducing pressure on the affected area.
Select this code when the service is application of a rigid total contact cast, rather than a standard short leg cast, walking cast, or patellar tendon-bearing cast. Document the treated side, clinical indication and cast type, including the total-contact technique. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When bilateral services are reported with modifier 50, payment is at 150%. In a same-session multiple-procedure situation, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are reduced to 50%. 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.
29445 in Minnesota
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $129.52 | $86.56 |
How the 29445 rate is calculated
Each of 29445’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 · 29445
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.74
1.74 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.02
2.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.20
0.20 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
3.9600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$132.27
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29445
The CMS indicators that decide how 29445 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 29445
Total contact cast
| 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
29445 without 50 · national office
$132.27
Total contact cast
29445-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$198.41
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).
29445 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 29405Short leg cast
- Choose 29405 for a standard short leg cast. Use 29445 when the applied cast is specifically a rigid total contact cast.
- 29425Walking cast
- Code 29425 identifies a walking short leg cast; 29445 identifies a rigid total contact cast, commonly used for plantar off-loading.
- 29435PTB cast
- Code 29435 is for a patellar tendon-bearing cast. It is not the code for a rigid total contact cast applied for plantar pressure off-loading.
29445 billing questions
When should I choose this code instead of 29405?
Use 29445 for a rigid total contact cast. Code 29405 describes application of a short leg cast without the total-contact distinction.
How does this differ from 29425?
Code 29425 is for a walking short leg cast. Choose 29445 when the service is specifically application of a rigid total contact cast, often for plantar pressure off-loading.
What documentation supports the code?
Record the indication, treated side, and that a rigid total contact cast was applied. For ulcer off-loading, identify the affected foot and ulcer site.
How is bilateral application reported?
For bilateral services, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
What same-day services are included or reduced?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the 0-day global period. If multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others 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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