$516.71
Choose 28088 for an extensor tendon sheath and 28086 for a flexor tendon sheath. The tendon group involved distinguishes these related procedures.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
28088 Tendon sheath surgery Medicare reimbursement rates in Utah
Removal of diseased tissue from an extensor tendon sheath in the foot, typically reported for operative treatment of sheath inflammation or thickening. Compare 28088 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Utah.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 28088 in Utah?
Utah has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$459.82
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Utah
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$275.20
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Utah
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Foot surgery
About 28088: Foot extensor tendon sheath excision
Removal of diseased tissue from an extensor tendon sheath in the foot, typically reported for operative treatment of sheath inflammation or thickening.
This operation removes abnormal synovial tissue from around an extensor tendon in the foot, a procedure also known as extensor tenosynovectomy. A podiatrist or orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon may perform it when the tendon sheath is persistently inflamed or thickened and operative removal is indicated. The operative report should make clear that the tissue treated surrounds an extensor tendon, rather than a flexor tendon or a foot joint.
Report the service for the sheath excision itself, supported by documentation of the affected tendon and side, the operative findings, and the tissue removed. This major surgery code includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 28088
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU3.88 · 27%
- Practice expense (office) RVU10.04 · 70%
- Malpractice RVU0.50 · 3%
208
Medicare services in 2024 · #4288 by national volume
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.
28088 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Utah, from the same CMS release.
$496.72
Use 28088 when the excised tissue is around an extensor tendon. Use the applicable joint-lining procedure when the target is synovium within a foot joint.
$226.79
28010 describes incision of a toe tendon, not excision of an extensor tendon sheath. The operative target and procedure distinguish the codes.
$457.79
28039 applies to an eligible subcutaneous foot or toe tumor. 28088 addresses excision of an extensor tendon sheath, not a separately classified tumor by size and depth.
Compare 28088 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Utah →
Office / nonfacility
$459.82
Facility
$275.20
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 28088 in Utah.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,114
- Code
- 28088
- Physician work
- 3.88
- Practice expense
- 10.04
- Malpractice
- 0.50
GPCI2026.csv
104
- Locality
- Utah
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.940
- Malpractice
- 0.898
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 3.88 | × 1.000 | 3.8800 |
| Practice expense | 10.04 | × 0.940 | 9.4376 |
| Malpractice | 0.50 | × 0.898 | 0.4490 |
| Total RVUs | 13.7666 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Utah$459.82
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 3.88 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 10.04 | 0.94 |
| Malpractice | 0.5 | 0.898 |
(3.88 × 1 + 10.04 × 0.94 + 0.5 × 0.898) × $33.4009 = $459.82
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 3.88 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 4.16 | 0.94 |
| Malpractice | 0.5 | 0.898 |
(3.88 × 1 + 4.16 × 0.94 + 0.5 × 0.898) × $33.4009 = $275.20
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
28088 billing questions
How is 28088 different from 28086?
28088 is for excision of an extensor tendon sheath in the foot. Use 28086 for the corresponding flexor tendon sheath procedure.
Does 28088 cover removal of tissue from a foot joint?
No. This code concerns tissue surrounding an extensor tendon. Removal of joint lining is a different service, such as the applicable foot-joint synovectomy code.
What should the operative report document?
Document the foot and side, the extensor tendon sheath involved, the abnormal findings, and the excision performed. The record should distinguish sheath tissue from joint lining or a separate soft-tissue lesion.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is bilateral surgery reported, and can an assistant be paid?
Modifier 50 applies to bilateral procedures, with payment at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
3,11128072,,Removal of foot joint lining,A,,4.60,9.89,,4.20,,0.55,15.04,9.35,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,11228080,,Removal of foot lesion,A,,4.74,11.10,,5.78,,0.55,16.39,11.07,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,11328086,,Excise foot tendon sheath,A,,4.80,10.73,,4.60,,0.65,16.18,10.05,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,11428088,,Excise foot tendon sheath,A,,3.88,10.04,,4.16,,0.50,14.42,8.54,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,11528090,,Removal of foot lesion,A,,4.44,9.13,,3.90,,0.48,14.05,8.82,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,11628092,,Removal of toe lesions,A,,3.69,8.57,,3.73,,0.39,12.65,7.81,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,11728100,,Removal of ankle/heel lesion,A,,5.68,12.75,,5.51,,0.89,19.32,12.08,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
10104412,TX,15,GALVESTON,1.008,0.993,0.828
10204412,TX,18,HOUSTON,1.008,0.993,1.376
10304412,TX,99,REST OF TEXAS,1.000,0.949,0.903
10403502,UT,09,UTAH,1.000,0.940,0.898
10514512,VT,50,VERMONT,1.000,0.990,0.506
10611302,VA,00,VIRGINIA,1.000,0.983,0.706
10709202,VI,50,VIRGIN ISLANDS,1.000,1.011,0.985