Billing code 29000: Halo-type castMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Reports application of a halo-style body cast to immobilize the cervical spine and trunk when rigid external support is needed.
Medicare pays $440.14 for 29000 in the office in Utah (Utah). 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 29000 covers
This service covers applying a rigid halo-style cast that supports the head, neck, and trunk to immobilize the cervical spine. Orthopedic or spine clinicians may use it when external cast immobilization is selected for a cervical spine condition. It is distinct from applying a halo apparatus secured to the skull and connected to a vest.
Report the code when the documented service is application of this halo-type body cast, rather than a Risser jacket or a body cast with a different extent. The record should identify the cast applied and the clinical need for cervical and trunk immobilization. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. 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.
29000 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | $440.14 | $200.90 |
How the 29000 rate is calculated
Each of 29000’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 · 29000
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 2.19Practice expense 10.81Malpractice 0.92
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29000
The CMS indicators that decide how 29000 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 29000
Halo-type cast
| 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) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| 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 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
29000 without 51 · national office
$464.94
Halo-type cast
29000-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$232.47
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%).
29000 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
29000 vs 29010 vs 29015 vs 20661: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 29010Risser jacket
- 29010 is for a Risser jacket supporting the body without head support. Choose 29000 when the service is application of a halo-type body cast.
- 29015Risser jacket
- 29015 describes a Risser jacket that includes head support. The cast type, not simply whether the head is supported, distinguishes it from 29000.
- 20661Cranial halo
- 20661 reports application of a halo apparatus. Code 29000 is for applying a halo-style body cast, not the halo apparatus itself.
29000 billing questions
How is this different from applying a halo apparatus?
This code is for a halo-style body cast. Code 20661 describes application of a halo apparatus, a different form of external immobilization.
When would a Risser jacket code be more appropriate?
Use the Risser jacket code that matches the cast applied: 29010 for a body-only jacket or 29015 when the jacket includes head support. Code 29000 is for a halo-type body cast.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service.
What same-day care is included in the global period?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
When is assistant-at-surgery payment allowed?
Only when documentation supports the medical necessity of the assistant. 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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