Billing code 29075: Cast applicationMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports application of a short arm cast extending from forearm to hand when cast placement is separately reportable for wrist or forearm immobilization.
Medicare pays $91.10–$100.98 for 29075 in the office in Texas, from Beaumont to Austin. 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 29075 covers
This service covers applying a short arm cast that extends from the forearm to the hand and stops below the elbow. Orthopedic clinicians, emergency physicians, and other qualified practitioners may apply it to immobilize wrist or forearm injuries, including when a cast is needed as part of fracture care. The code describes cast application, not the fracture treatment itself.
Report the code when the short arm cast is separately reportable; cast application is generally included in a fracture treatment service that includes casting. Document the treated side, cast extent, and clinical reason for immobilization. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. In a session with multiple procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; 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 29075 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 payment localities
$91.10 to $100.98
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $100.98 | $59.99 |
| Beaumont | $91.10 | $55.84 |
| Brazoria | $96.09 | $57.70 |
| Dallas | $96.82 | $58.23 |
| Fort Worth | $96.20 | $58.00 |
| Galveston | $96.45 | $57.98 |
| Houston | $99.01 | $60.54 |
| Rest Of Texas | $93.62 | $56.85 |
How the 29075 rate is calculated
Each of 29075’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 · 29075
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.75Practice expense 2.03Malpractice 0.14
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29075
The CMS indicators that decide how 29075 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 29075
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
29075 without 50 · national office
$97.53
Cast application
29075-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$146.30
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).
29075 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
29075 vs 29065 vs 29085 vs 29086 vs 29125: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 29065Cast application
- Choose 29075 for a cast extending from the forearm to the hand and stopping below the elbow. Code 29065 describes a long arm cast extending from the shoulder to the hand.
- 29085Gauntlet cast
- Code 29085 is for a cast covering the hand and lower forearm; 29075 describes the short arm cast extending from the forearm to the hand.
- 29086Finger cast
- Use 29086 when the cast is limited to a finger, rather than the forearm-to-hand short arm cast reported with 29075.
- 29125Short arm splint
- Code 29125 reports application of a short arm splint. Use 29075 for a short arm cast.
29075 billing questions
When should 29075 be reported instead of a fracture treatment code?
Report 29075 for the short arm cast application when it is separately reportable. When the fracture treatment service includes cast application, do not separately report the cast application.
What cast extent supports 29075?
The cast extends from the forearm to the hand and stops below the elbow. A cast extending from the shoulder to the hand is a different application.
Can 29075 be reported for casts on both arms?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; modifier 50 is paid at 150% when bilateral reporting applies. Document the cast application on each side.
Does the 0-day global period include same-day follow-up care?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the 0-day global period. The global period does not extend beyond the day of the procedure.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be billed for 29075?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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
Fee sheets
Put 29075 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →