CPT code 29015: Risser jacket2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Application of a Risser jacket cast that includes the head for trunk immobilization in selected spinal conditions, including scoliosis management.
Medicare pays $347.76–$393.87 for 29015 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 29015 covers
This service covers applying a Risser jacket cast around the trunk with a head component. Orthopedic clinicians use this type of cast for selected spinal conditions, including scoliosis, when the prescribed immobilization requires the head to be incorporated into the cast. An orthopedic physician typically performs the application, sometimes with assistance from cast personnel, in an orthopedic clinic or hospital setting.
Report 29015 when the applied construct is a Risser jacket that includes the head; a body-only Risser jacket is distinguished by 29010. Documentation should identify the Risser jacket design, the head component, and the clinical reason for the cast. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one 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. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented 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 29015 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | $347.76 | $171.20 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | $393.87 | $188.14 |
How the 29015 rate is calculated
Each of 29015’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 · 29015
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.35
2.35 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.28
7.28 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.48
0.48 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
10.1100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$337.68
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29015
The CMS indicators that decide how 29015 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 29015
Risser jacket
| 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
29015 without 51 · national office
$337.68
Risser jacket
29015-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$168.84
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%).
29015 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 29010Risser jacket
- Both describe Risser jacket casts; choose 29015 when the cast includes the head and 29010 when it is body-only.
- 29040Body cast
- 29040 describes a shoulder-to-hip body cast that includes the head, while 29015 is specifically a Risser jacket cast with a head component.
- 29035Body cast
- 29035 is a shoulder-to-hip body cast without a head component; 29015 is a Risser jacket cast that includes the head.
29015 billing questions
How do I distinguish 29015 from 29010?
Use 29015 for a Risser jacket cast that includes the head. Use 29010 when the Risser jacket is body-only.
How does 29015 differ from 29040?
29015 identifies a Risser jacket cast with a head component. Code 29040 describes a different body-cast construction extending from the shoulders to the hips and including the head.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for 29015?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What same-day care is included in the global period?
The 0-day global period includes preoperative and postoperative care provided on the day of the cast application.
What documentation supports reporting 29015?
Document the Risser jacket cast design, that the head is included, and the clinical reason for the prescribed immobilization.
When can an assistant at surgery be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is available only when the record documents medical necessity. 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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