CPT 29505: Application of Long Leg Splint (Thigh to Ankle)
Medicare pays $114 and commercial payers pay $162 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 29505 describes application of a long leg splint that immobilizes the entire leg from the top of the thigh to the ankle/foot for injuries such as fractures, dislocations, and sprains; this is an orthopaedic/trauma or emergency service typically rendered in the emergency department, urgent care, or orthopaedic clinic and documented as a procedural application of a splint for initial immobilization and stabilization.
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National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Nationally, Medicare averages $113.50 for CPT 29505 while BUCA (average commercial) sits higher at $161.50, a gap of $48.00 that highlights material upward pressure from commercial contracts relative to the federal program. This differential places BUCA above Medicare’s mean but still within the broader commercial band set by payers such as Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealth Group.
Dispersion measured by the interquartile range (P75–P25) varies meaningfully: Blue Cross Blue Shield is the widest with a range of $88.00 (P75 $249.20 minus P25 $161.30), followed by UnitedHealth Group at $79.90, and Cigna at $59.40. Aetna exhibits one of the tightest interquartile spreads at $51.00, and BUCA’s IQR is $77.50; Medicare’s IQR is narrow at $14.00, indicating much less regional variability within the federal payment scale.