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CPT 29130: Static Finger Splint Application
CPT code 29130 covers the application of a static (rigid) splint to immobilize one or more fingers for healing of sprains or fractures. This procedure is a common, low-complexity intervention performed across outpatient settings, emergency departments, and urgent care sites. Nationally, it matters because finger immobilization is essential to functional recovery after hand injuries and generates frequent, routine encounters in musculoskeletal and acute care pathways.
Key payers included in this analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, United Healthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context, typical sites of service, and common billing relationships for CPT code 29130 across major payers. The publication outlines expected service classification, related procedure comparisons, and common ICD-10 diagnoses that support medical necessity for the splint application.
The report provides practical benchmarks and policy-relevant notes to inform coding accuracy and payer alignment. It also positions CPT code 29130 in relation to adjacent hand-splinting codes to clarify when static splint application is the appropriate procedural code. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 29130 describes the application of a static (rigid) finger splint to immobilize one or more fingers in a fixed position to allow a sprain or fracture to heal. The service is a splint application intended to maintain immobilization without permitting finger movement.
Service type: Splint application / immobilization of finger(s)
Typical site of service: Outpatient clinic, emergency department, urgent care, or ambulatory surgical center, where acute hand injuries and follow-up splinting are commonly performed.
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Nationally, Medicare’s mean allowed amount for CPT 29130 sits near $47.5, substantially below BUCA’s average commercial mean of $129.1, so commercial reimbursements represented by BUCA are roughly $81.6 higher than Medicare on average. This gap highlights a pronounced difference between average government and commercial payments for the same procedure.
Dispersion measured by the interquartile range (P75 minus P25) is widest for Blue Cross Blue Shield at $67.8 (P75 $215.1 minus P25 $147.3), indicating greater variability in contracted rates, while Aetna is among the tightest with an IQR of $25.0 (P75 $55.0 minus P25 $26.0). UnitedHealth Group and Cigna show similar mid-to-high dispersion ($40.0 and $45.0 respectively), and BUCA’s IQR is $54.9, reflecting moderate spread around its mean.