CPT 29700: Removal or Modification of Cast (Body, Foot, or Hand)
Medicare pays $72 and commercial payers pay $140 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 29700 describes removal or modification of an existing cast covering the body, foot, or hand when it is no longer required, needs replacement, or has become too tight due to swelling; the service is a cast removal/revision procedure typically performed in an outpatient clinic, emergency department, or ambulatory surgical setting and is billed as a procedure for management of fractures and related orthopedic injuries.
For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Medical Necessity Guidelines Non-Emergency Transportation, Non-Emergent Transportation Medical Policy, Non-Emergency Facility to Facility Transfers.
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National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Commercial averages for CPT 29700 sit above Medicare: Blue Cross Blue Shield and BUCA show notably higher means versus Medicare’s mean of $71.5. BUCA’s mean is $140.4, roughly double Medicare, while Blue Cross Blue Shield’s mean is $191.3, well above Medicare, illustrating a material spread between public and several commercial payers.
Dispersion (P75 minus P25) highlights where rates concentrate or spread. Blue Cross Blue Shield has the widest interquartile spread at $78.8 ($232.9–$154.1), followed by UnitedHealth Group at $57.0 ($114–$57) and Cigna at $64.0 ($111.6–$49.7). Aetna is comparatively tighter with a spread of $38.1 ($57.5–$19.0). BUCA’s interquartile spread equals $67.8 ($173.5–$105.7), while Medicare’s spread is $7 ($74–$67), the tightest of the set.