CPT 29515: Short Leg Splint Application for Lower Leg/Ankle/Foot Injuries
Medicare pays $85 and commercial payers pay $157 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 29515 describes the application of a short leg splint to immobilize the lower leg from just below the knee to the foot for injuries such as fractures, dislocations, and sprains; this is an orthopedic immobilization service typically performed in emergency department or outpatient orthopedic settings for acute lower extremity injuries.
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National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Commercial averages sit above Medicare for CPT 29515: Blue Cross Blue Shield and BUCA show substantially higher means than Medicare’s mean of $85.2. BUCA’s mean is $156.8, roughly $71.6 above Medicare, while Blue Cross Blue Shield’s mean of $203.5 exceeds Medicare by $118.3; other national commercial means (Aetna $71.8, Cigna $101.8, UnitedHealth Group $109.8) spread between those points, illustrating material premium variation between commercial contracts and the Medicare baseline.
Dispersion varies notably across payers when comparing interquartile ranges (P75–P25). Blue Cross Blue Shield’s IQR is $87.0 (P75 $246.0 minus P25 $159.8), making it one of the widest; UnitedHealth Group’s IQR is $69.5 (P75 $137.7 − P25 $69.5), and Cigna’s IQR is $53.8. Aetna’s IQR is $50.4, while BUCA’s IQR is $73.9. Medicare’s IQR is tight at $9.0 (P75 $89 − P25 $80).