CPT code 01829: Wrist arthroscopy anesthesia, diagnostic procedure2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Anesthesia for diagnostic arthroscopy of the wrist, reported when arthroscopic examination is performed to evaluate the wrist joint.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 01829 in Washington.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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What 01829 covers
This code covers anesthesia for a diagnostic arthroscopic examination of the wrist joint. The surgeon uses an arthroscope to inspect the joint and evaluate its structures; the anesthesia may be provided by an anesthesiologist or CRNA in a hospital or ambulatory surgery setting. The anesthesia professional reports the service separately from the surgeon’s arthroscopy claim.
Use this code when the wrist arthroscopy is diagnostic, rather than for other wrist or hand arthroscopic or endoscopic procedures classified under 01830. The operative report should identify the wrist and establish the diagnostic nature of the arthroscopy; the anesthesia record should support the service and its start and end times. This code has 3 base units. Medicare payment is (3 base units + time units) multiplied by the anesthesia conversion factor; time is reported in minutes and converted to 15-minute units to one decimal place, beginning when the practitioner starts preparing the patient for anesthesia and ending when the practitioner is no longer in personal attendance and the patient can safely be placed under postoperative care. The conversion factor varies by locality.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
Where 01829 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| King County, WA | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Rest of Washington | Unavailable | Unavailable |
How the 01829 rate is calculated
Each of 01829’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 01829
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.0000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$0.00
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 01829
01829 has no global surgery period, no multiple-procedure, bilateral or assistant-at-surgery adjustment, and no professional/technical split. What changes the payment is where the service happens: the place of service on the claim decides whether Medicare pays the office or the facility rate.
Place of service · 01829
Which rate does Medicare pay?
The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).
POS 11 · non-facility rate · national
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01829 isn’t priced in this setting.
01829 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 01830Wrist joint anesthesiaOther wrist/hand joint procedures
- 01829 is specific to diagnostic wrist arthroscopy. 01830 is used for other wrist or hand arthroscopic or endoscopic procedures not classified more specifically.
- 01832Wrist replacement anesthesiaTotal wrist replacement
- 01832 applies to total wrist replacement; 01829 applies to diagnostic wrist arthroscopy.
- 01810Forearm and hand anesthesiaNerve, muscle, tendon
- 01810 is for anesthesia for procedures involving forearm or wrist nerves and muscles, not diagnostic arthroscopy of the wrist joint.
- 01820Wrist and hand bone anesthesiaClosed bone procedures
- 01820 is for anesthesia for closed procedures involving radius, ulna, wrist, or hand bones; 01829 is for diagnostic wrist arthroscopy.
01829 billing questions
When should 01829 be used instead of 01830?
Use 01829 for anesthesia for diagnostic arthroscopy of the wrist. Use 01830 for other wrist or hand arthroscopic or endoscopic procedures not classified more specifically.
What documentation supports 01829?
The operative report should identify the wrist and show that the arthroscopy was diagnostic. The anesthesia record should support the anesthesia service and its start and end times.
How are time units determined?
Report anesthesia time in minutes; it is converted to 15-minute units, computed to one decimal place. The interval begins when the practitioner starts preparing the patient for anesthesia and ends when the practitioner is no longer in personal attendance and the patient can safely be placed under postoperative care.
How does Medicare calculate payment for 01829?
Medicare payment is the code’s 3 base units plus time units, multiplied by the anesthesia conversion factor for the payment locality.
Does 01829 describe anesthesia for total wrist replacement?
No. Anesthesia for total wrist replacement is classified under 01832, not this diagnostic wrist arthroscopy code.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
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