CPT code 29819: Shoulder arthroscopy, loose or foreign body removal2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports arthroscopic removal of a loose fragment or foreign material from the shoulder joint, rather than diagnostic inspection or debridement alone.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29819 in Texas.
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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On this page 9 sections
What 29819 covers
An orthopedic surgeon uses an arthroscope and instruments through small portals to find and remove a loose fragment or foreign material from inside the shoulder joint. A loose osteochondral fragment after injury is a typical reason for the procedure. It is generally performed in a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center; the operative report should identify the material or fragment and document its removal.
Select this service when arthroscopic removal is performed, not for inspection alone or debridement without removal. The record should support the intra-articular finding and the work performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy-family pricing applies. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
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 29819 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | Unavailable | $559.19 |
| Beaumont, TX | Unavailable | $524.40 |
| Brazoria, TX | Unavailable | $538.91 |
| Dallas, TX | Unavailable | $544.30 |
| Fort Worth, TX | Unavailable | $542.49 |
| Galveston, TX | Unavailable | $541.80 |
| Houston, TX | Unavailable | $569.26 |
| Rest of Texas | Unavailable | $532.70 |
How the 29819 rate is calculated
Each of 29819’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 · 29819
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work7.60
7.60 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.37
7.37 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.50
1.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
16.4700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$550.11
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29819
29819 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29819
Shoulder arthroscopy, loose or foreign body removal
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 29819
Shoulder arthroscopy, loose or foreign body removal
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
29819 without 50 · national facility
$550.11
Shoulder arthroscopy, loose or foreign body removal
29819-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$825.17
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
29819 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 29805Shoulder arthroscopyDiagnostic examination
- Use 29805 for diagnostic shoulder arthroscopy when no separately described operative removal is performed; 29819 requires removal of a loose or foreign body.
- 29822Shoulder debridementLimited, one or two structures
- 29822 describes limited debridement of shoulder tissue. It is not a substitute for documenting and reporting removal of a loose fragment.
- 29823Arthroscopic debridementExtensive, three or more structures
- 29823 describes extensive debridement, while 29819 concerns removal of a loose or foreign body. Choose based on the work actually documented.
- 29827Rotator cuff repairArthroscopic technique
- 29827 is arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. A cuff repair does not by itself support 29819; the record must also document loose-body or foreign-material removal.
29819 billing questions
How does this differ from diagnostic shoulder arthroscopy?
Report 29819 when the surgeon actually removes a loose body or foreign material. Diagnostic arthroscopy, without that removal, is a different service.
Is debridement the same as loose-body removal?
No. Debridement treats specified tissue by removing or smoothing it; 29819 describes removal of a loose fragment or foreign material. Document each distinct procedure performed.
How is bilateral surgery reported?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant surgeon be paid?
CMS lists a statutory restriction on assistant-at-surgery payment for this code. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
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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