Billing code 28010: Toe tendon releaseMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports percutaneous release of one toe tendon to relieve a tendon-driven deformity, such as a flexible hammertoe or claw toe.
Medicare pays $241.55–$268.22 for 28010 in the office in Washington, from Rest Of Washington to Seattle (King Cnty). 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 28010 covers
A surgeon, commonly a podiatrist or orthopedic foot and ankle specialist, releases one tendon in a toe through a percutaneous approach. The procedure may be used for a flexible hammertoe or claw toe when tendon contracture contributes to the deformity. It is performed in office-based surgical settings and in facility operating rooms. This code identifies a single tendon in a toe, rather than a tendon in the foot or multiple toe tendons.
Report the service when documentation supports a percutaneous release of one toe tendon, including the treated toe, tendon, approach, and clinical indication. The service has a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures 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 for this code. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; 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 28010 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | $241.55 | $202.15 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | $268.22 | $222.32 |
How the 28010 rate is calculated
Each of 28010’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 · 28010
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 2.90Practice expense 3.89Malpractice 0.26
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 28010
28010 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 28010
Toe tendon release
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are 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) | 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. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 28010
Toe tendon release
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
28010 without 51 · national office
$235.48
Toe tendon release
28010-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$117.74
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%).
28010 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
28010 vs 28011 vs 28008 vs 28232 vs 28285: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 28011Toe tendon release
- 28010 represents percutaneous release of one toe tendon; 28011 is the multiple-tendon counterpart.
- 28008Fascia release
- Choose 28010 for a tendon in a toe and 28008 for a tendon in the foot.
- 28232Toe tendon incision
- 28232 describes an open toe flexor tendon release. 28010 is for a percutaneous single-tendon release and does not specify a flexor tendon.
- 28285Hammertoe repair
- 28285 represents hammertoe correction, a broader corrective procedure; 28010 is limited to percutaneous release of one toe tendon.
28010 billing questions
When should 28011 be used instead?
Use 28010 for a percutaneous release of one toe tendon. Code 28011 is the related code for multiple tendons.
How does 28010 differ from 28008?
Both describe percutaneous tendon release, but 28010 is for a tendon in a toe; 28008 is for a tendon in the foot.
Can modifier 50 be reported for bilateral toe releases?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for 28010 because its descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 unsuitable.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are paid at 50% when performed in the same session.
What documentation supports reporting 28010?
Document the treated toe and tendon, the percutaneous approach, and the tendon-related deformity or condition prompting the release.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 28010. 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 28010 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 →