CPT 29049: Figure-of-Eight Cast Application for Arm Immobilization
Medicare pays $118 and commercial payers pay $173 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 29049 describes the application of a figure-of-eight cast used to immobilize an upper extremity structure (typically the arm) after a surgical procedure; the service is a cast application usually performed in an operating room or procedure suite or other post-operative clinical setting where immobilization is applied following fracture repair or surgical stabilization.
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National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Medicare’s mean rate of $117.6 sits notably below BUCA’s average commercial mean of $173.2, indicating that commercial average reimbursement in this market is roughly $55.6 higher than Medicare for CPT 29049. This gap underscores a common commercial-to-Medicare spread for the procedure: BUCA’s mean aligns with higher commercial positioning while Medicare remains tightly clustered around its midpoint values. Dispersion measured by the interquartile range (P75–P25) varies meaningfully across payers. Blue Cross Blue Shield shows the widest IQR at $94.0 (P75 $262.0 minus P25 $168.3), followed by UnitedHealth Group at $94.9 (P75 $188.4 minus P25 $93.5) and Cigna at $91.9. Aetna is much tighter with an IQR of $57.5, and BUCA’s IQR is $86.0. Medicare’s IQR is smallest at $13.0, indicating the most concentrated rates among the listed payers.