Soft tissue repair · Foot & ankle
Partial surgical removal of the plantar fascia, performed through an open incision to relieve chronic tension or pain at the heel and arch.
Verified May 8, 2026 · 5 sources ↓
- Medicare
- $525.06
- Total RVUs
- 15.72
- Global, days
- 90
- Region
- Foot & ankle
Documentation requirements
What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 5 cited references ↓
- Duration and nature of conservative treatment that failed prior to surgery (e.g., physical therapy, orthotics, corticosteroid injections, duration in weeks/months)
- Specific anatomic location and extent of fascia excised — partial vs. complete release, medial band vs. central band
- Operative note must name the surgical approach and describe the portion of fascia removed; 'standard approach' flags audits
- Pre-operative imaging (X-ray or MRI) findings confirming plantar fasciitis or excluding other pathology
- Laterality clearly documented (left vs. right foot) in both the operative note and the procedure order
- If modifier 22 is appended, documentation must quantify why the procedure required substantially greater work than typical — altered anatomy, prior surgery, or scarring
Applicable modifiers
Modifiers commonly billed with this code.
Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual
What this code covers
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 5 cited references ↓
CPT 28060 covers an open partial fasciectomy of the plantar fascia — typically performed for refractory plantar fasciitis after conservative measures have failed. The surgeon makes an incision in the sole of the foot, removes a portion of the thickened or fibrotic fascia to relieve tension, and closes the wound. It is designated a 'separate procedure,' meaning payers will bundle it when it's incidental to a more comprehensive surgery in the same anatomic area.
The 90-day global period is a frequent billing trap here. Post-op visits, wound checks, and routine follow-up through day 90 are included — bill them separately only if the visit is for a clearly unrelated condition (modifier 24) or involves a significant, separately documented service (modifier 25). The decision-for-surgery E/M on the day of or day before the procedure requires modifier 57 since the global is 90 days.
NCCI policy explicitly prohibits reporting 28060 alongside 28062, 28250, 28008, or 29893 for the same foot at the same encounter — no modifier overrides that edit. If you're billing a calcaneal spur excision (28119) on the same day, confirm whether your payer treats the plantar fascial release component as integral to 28119; if it is, 28060 is bundled. Use modifier 59 or XS only when the procedures are at genuinely separate anatomic sites, not just because separate diagnoses exist.
RVU & reimbursement
Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.
Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026
| Work RVU | 5.27 |
| Practice expense RVU | 9.84 |
| Malpractice RVU | 0.61 |
| Total RVU | 15.72 |
| Medicare national rate | $525.06 |
| Global period | 90 days |
Payment by site of service
Medicare pays different rates by setting. HOPD typically pays substantially more than ASC for the same procedure.
Source · CMS OPPS Addendum B·ASC HCPCS payment rates·2026
| Setting | Medicare rate (national) |
|---|---|
Office (PFS non-facility) Procedure performed in physician's office | $525.06 |
HOPD (APC 5113) Hospital outpatient department | $3,342.87 |
ASC (PI A2) Ambulatory surgical center (freestanding) | $1,644.87 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 28060 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- Insufficient documentation of failed conservative care — many payers require 6–12 weeks of documented non-surgical treatment before approving fasciectomy
- Bundling denial when 28060 is billed same-day with 28062, 28250, 28008, or 29893 on the ipsilateral foot — NCCI prohibits any two codes from that group at the same encounter
- Laterality mismatch between the claim and operative note when LT/RT modifiers are present
- Routine post-op visits billed without modifier 24 during the 90-day global period
- Separate procedure designation used to deny 28060 when billed alongside a more comprehensive ipsilateral foot procedure in the same anatomic region
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 5 cited references ↓
01Can I bill 28060 and 28119 (calcaneal spur excision) together on the same date?
02Is 28060 the right code if the surgeon releases the full plantar fascia?
03What global period applies to 28060, and what does that mean for follow-up billing?
04Does 28060 require a separate procedure modifier when billed alone?
05Which modifier do I use if the surgeon decides to operate during the same-day E/M visit?
06Can 28060 be reported bilaterally on the same date?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources. Last verified May 8, 2026.
- 01CMS Physician Fee Schedule 2026
- 02cms.govhttps://www.cms.gov/files/document/2025nccimedicarepolicymanualcompletepdf.pdf
- 03abos.orghttps://www.abos.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/sports-cpt-updated.pdf
- 04aaos.orghttps://www.aaos.org/globalassets/quality-and-practice-resources/coding-and-reimbursement/resident-guide/resident-guide_modifiers.pdf
- 05aapc.comhttps://www.aapc.com/codes/cpt-codes/28060
Mira AI Scribe
Mira's AI scribe captures the specific portion of plantar fascia excised, the surgical approach by name, and the documented failure of prior conservative treatment — including modality and duration. That detail directly prevents the two most common denial triggers: medical necessity rejections for insufficient conservative care documentation and audit flags from operative notes that lack anatomic specificity on what was removed and where.
See how Mira captures CPT 28060 documentation