Billing code 28024: Toe joint explorationMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Reports surgical opening of a toe interphalangeal joint to inspect it, drain it, or remove a loose or foreign body.
Medicare pays $446.48 for 28024 in the office in Ohio (Ohio). 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 28024 covers
This service involves surgically opening an interphalangeal joint of a toe to inspect the joint, drain it, or remove a loose or foreign body. A foot and ankle surgeon or podiatric surgeon may perform it in an operating room or another surgical setting when the problem is within the toe joint, rather than a neighboring tendon or soft-tissue structure.
Choose the code based on the joint treated and the work documented. The operative note should identify the toe and joint, the reason for opening it, and any drainage or material removed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including 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 the others are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this descriptor. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; 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.
28024 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | $446.48 | $286.39 |
How the 28024 rate is calculated
Each of 28024’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 · 28024
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 4.41Practice expense 9.27Malpractice 0.49
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 28024
28024 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 28024
Toe joint exploration
| 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 · 28024
Toe joint exploration
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
28024 without 51 · national office
$473.29
Toe joint exploration
28024-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$236.65
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%).
28024 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
28024 vs 28020 vs 28022 vs 28054: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 28020Foot joint arthrotomy
- Both describe foot-joint arthrotomy work, but 28024 identifies a toe interphalangeal joint. Select according to the joint named in the operative report.
- 28022Joint exploration
- This is another foot-joint exploration code. The target joint documented in the operative report distinguishes it from toe interphalangeal joint work under 28024.
- 28054Joint biopsy
- Use 28054 for biopsy of the toe joint lining; 28024 describes opening the joint for exploration, drainage, or removal of a loose or foreign body.
28024 billing questions
How is this different from an arthrotomy of another foot joint?
This code is for an interphalangeal joint of a toe. Use the applicable neighboring arthrotomy code when the operative report identifies a different foot joint.
Can this be reported for a toe joint biopsy?
The defining work is opening the toe joint for exploration, drainage, or removal of a loose or foreign body. A procedure focused on sampling the toe joint lining is represented by the toe-joint biopsy code, 28054.
Should modifier 50 be used for both feet?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this descriptor; document the treated toe joint or joints.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted for this service. CMS does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery.
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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