Billing code 29710: Spica cast removalMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Removal of a shoulder or hip spica cast after immobilization ends or treatment changes, reported for the cast-removal service.
Medicare pays $128.42–$140.53 for 29710 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 29710 covers
This service covers taking off a shoulder or hip spica cast, which immobilizes the shoulder or hip and may extend along the arm or leg. It is commonly performed by an orthopedic surgeon or other clinician involved in fracture or musculoskeletal care, such as when a patient’s immobilization period is complete or the treatment plan changes. Spica casts are used in situations such as pediatric hip or femur treatment; the code is selected by the type of cast removed, not by the diagnosis alone.
Documentation should identify the spica cast removed and support why removal was 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 standard 50% reduction. A bilateral procedure reported with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity; 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 29710 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
$128.42 to $140.53
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $140.53 | $72.68 |
| Beaumont | $128.42 | $70.07 |
| Brazoria | $134.22 | $70.67 |
| Dallas | $135.39 | $71.51 |
| Fort Worth | $134.67 | $71.43 |
| Galveston | $134.82 | $71.14 |
| Houston | $139.76 | $76.08 |
| Rest Of Texas | $131.46 | $70.60 |
How the 29710 rate is calculated
Each of 29710’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 · 29710
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.31
1.31 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.51
2.51 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.27
0.27 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
4.0900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$136.61
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29710
The CMS indicators that decide how 29710 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 29710
Spica cast removal
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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
29710 without 50 · national office
$136.61
Spica cast removal
29710-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$204.92
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).
29710 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 29700Cast removal
- 29700 covers removal of a gauntlet, boot, or short-leg cast. Choose 29710 when the cast is a shoulder or hip spica.
- 29705Cast removal
- 29705 is for removal of a full arm or leg cast; 29710 identifies removal of a shoulder or hip spica.
- 29720Cast repair
- 29720 repairs a spica body cast or jacket that remains in place. Use 29710 when the spica cast is taken off.
29710 billing questions
How is this different from removal of a full arm or leg cast?
Use 29710 for a shoulder or hip spica cast. Code 29705 is for removal of a full arm or leg cast.
Can cast removal and application of a new spica cast be reported together?
When a new shoulder spica is applied during the same encounter, removal and application may represent distinct services. Document the cast removed and the new cast application.
Does the code include same-day care?
Yes. Its 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
When is modifier 50 appropriate?
CMS treats the procedure as bilateral when modifier 50 is reported and pays it at 150%. A single spica cast that happens to extend across both sides is not, by itself, proof of separately performed bilateral services.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.
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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