CPT 29580: Unna Boot (Spiral Compression Dressing)
Medicare pays $65 and commercial payers pay $138 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 29580 describes application of an Unna boot, a spiral compression dressing made of cotton and zinc oxide paste or other emollients that maintains a moist, nonirritating environment while applying pressure to the leg; service type: compression dressing application for venous stasis ulcers and soft tissue support; typical site of service: clinic, outpatient wound care center, or podiatry/orthopedic office.
For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Implants for Joint Pain, Orthopedic Applications of Stem Cell Therapy, Bone Lengthening (Distraction Osteogenesis).
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National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Medicare’s mean of $65.4 sits between BUCA’s average commercial mean of $137.5 and several large commercial payers, indicating Medicare reimbursement is lower than the commercial average for CPT 29580 but not at the bottom of the national spread. BUCA’s mean at $137.5 reflects an above-Medicare commercial benchmark that may coexist with higher outliers among carriers; Blue Cross Blue Shield’s much higher mean ($189.6) and Aetna’s lower mean ($43.0) illustrate the commercial market’s divergence around both Medicare and BUCA levels.
Dispersion measured as P75 minus P25 highlights variation: Blue Cross Blue Shield shows the widest interquartile spread at $803.00? Wait — must compute correctly: BCBS p75 $232.50 minus p25 $152.20 equals $80.30. UnitedHealth Group’s IQR is $54.70 ($109.90 − $52.00), Cigna’s is $52.90 ($99.70 − $44.80), BUCA’s is $67.00 ($171.40 − $104.40), Aetna’s is $35.10 ($60.10 − $25.00). Thus Blue Cross Blue Shield is widest ($80.30) and Aetna is tightest ($35.10).