CPT 29355: Long Leg Ambulatory Cast Application
Medicare pays $159 and commercial payers pay $327 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 29355 describes the application of a long leg ambulatory cast that immobilizes the leg and knee, extending from the thigh over the foot with toes left free and a shaped sole for a cast shoe or an applied footplate and rubber heel; service type: cast application/immobilization; typical site of service: outpatient orthopedic or emergency department setting where ambulatory immobilization for fractures or deformities is performed.
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National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Nationally, Medicare’s mean rate of $159.3 sits noticeably below BUCA’s commercial average of $327.2, indicating that BUCA-level reimbursements are roughly double Medicare on average. Median and percentile comparisons reinforce that BUCA’s central tendency and upper quartile are materially higher than Medicare’s p75 of $166 and median of $159, reflecting stronger commercial pricing around this code versus the federal program.
Dispersion varies by payer: Blue Cross Blue Shield has the widest interquartile spread (P75–P25 = $159.4), followed by UnitedHealth Group (P75–P25 = $138.9) and BUCA (P75–P25 = $153.1). Aetna and Cigna show tighter IQRs of $99.0 and $113.4 respectively, indicating more concentrated commercial pricing ranges. Medicare’s IQR is narrow at $17.0, reflecting the most compressed distribution among the payers listed.