Billing code 29280: Hand strappingMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports tape strapping applied to a hand or finger to support an injured area or limit motion during treatment of a hand or finger condition.
Medicare pays $28.52–$30.86 for 29280 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 29280 covers
A clinician applies adhesive tape to support or restrict movement of the hand or one or more fingers, commonly for a sprain, soft-tissue injury, or instability. The service is reported when therapeutic strapping is applied to the hand or finger, rather than when the treatment is application of a splint. It may be performed in an office or other setting where the patient receives care for the injury or condition.
Documentation should identify the hand or finger treated, the condition prompting support, and the strapping performed. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the 50% multiple-procedure reduction. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, CMS pays at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services are 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.
Where 29280 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
$28.52 to $30.86
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $30.86 | $17.08 |
| Beaumont | $28.52 | $16.67 |
| Brazoria | $29.72 | $16.82 |
| Dallas | $29.92 | $16.95 |
| Fort Worth | $29.78 | $16.93 |
| Galveston | $29.82 | $16.89 |
| Houston | $30.55 | $17.62 |
| Rest Of Texas | $29.11 | $16.75 |
How the 29280 rate is calculated
Each of 29280’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 · 29280
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.38Practice expense 0.48Malpractice 0.04
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29280
The CMS indicators that decide how 29280 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 29280
Hand strapping
| 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
29280 without 50 · national office
$30.06
Hand strapping
29280-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$45.09
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).
29280 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
29280 vs 29260 vs 29130 vs 29125: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 29260Joint strapping
- Use 29280 for strapping of the hand or fingers. Code 29260 is for strapping of the elbow or wrist.
- 29130Finger splint
- Use 29280 when tape strapping supports or restricts the hand or fingers; use 29130 when a finger splint is applied.
- 29125Short arm splint
- Code 29125 describes application of a short arm splint extending from the forearm to the hand. Code 29280 is for hand or finger strapping.
29280 billing questions
When should I report hand or finger strapping rather than a splint code?
Report this service when adhesive tape is applied to support or restrict movement of the hand or finger. A service involving application of a finger or forearm-to-hand splint is represented by the applicable splint code instead.
What documentation supports this code?
Document the hand or finger treated, the condition requiring support, and the strapping performed. The record should make clear that the service was strapping rather than splint application.
How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect this code?
For procedures performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and pays other procedures at 50%. The reduction applies to this code when it is one of the other procedures.
How is bilateral strapping paid?
CMS pays a bilateral procedure reported with modifier 50 at 150%. Document the service on both sides and report the modifier according to the applicable claim instructions.
Is same-day care included in the global period?
Yes. This code has a 0-day global period, which includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
Can an assistant or surgical team be reported for this service?
Assistant-at-surgery services are not paid for this code. 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
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