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CPT code 29824: Shoulder arthroscopy, distal clavicle resection2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports arthroscopic removal of the distal clavicle, commonly to treat symptomatic acromioclavicular joint arthritis after nonoperative care has not relieved symptoms.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities51.3K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $638.96 for 29824 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 29824

Shoulder arthroscopy, distal clavicle resection

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
8.76
Total RVUs
19.13
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$638.96

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 29824 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 29824 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 29824 covers

An orthopedic surgeon uses an arthroscope and instruments through small shoulder incisions to remove the outer end of the clavicle at the acromioclavicular (AC) joint. This is commonly performed for painful AC joint arthritis or related distal clavicle pathology when surgery is indicated. The procedure is typically done in a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center, sometimes during the same session as another shoulder arthroscopy procedure.

Report the code when the operative work includes arthroscopic resection of the distal clavicle; the operative report should identify the AC joint pathology and document the resection performed. CMS assigns a 90-day major-surgery global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For bilateral procedures, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy-family pricing applies. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires 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 29824 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

29824 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$577.50
AlaskaUnavailable$777.55
ArizonaUnavailable$621.58
ArkansasUnavailable$569.90
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$656.25
Austin, TXUnavailable$649.52
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$649.14
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$678.57
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$608.90
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$625.78

29824 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
29824 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 29824 rate is calculated

Each of 29824’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 · 29824

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work8.76

8.76 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense8.61

8.61 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.76

1.76 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

19.1300

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$638.96

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 29824

29824 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 29824

Shoulder arthroscopy, distal clavicle resection

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures3Endoscopy family rules apply.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.69/0.21Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 29824

Shoulder arthroscopy, distal clavicle resection

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

29824 without 50 · national facility

$638.96

Shoulder arthroscopy, distal clavicle resection

29824-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$958.44

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).

When to use modifier 50

29824 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 29824

    Shoulder arthroscopy, distal clavicle resection8.76 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 29826

    Shoulder decompression, subacromial space2.93 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 29823

    Arthroscopic debridement, extensive, three or more structures7.78 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 29822

    Shoulder debridement, limited, one or two structures6.85 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 23120

    Clavicle resection, partial claviculectomy7.21 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

29826Shoulder decompressionSubacromial space
29826 represents arthroscopic subacromial decompression work, such as acromioplasty. This code represents resection at the AC joint.
29823Arthroscopic debridementExtensive, three or more structures
29823 is for extensive arthroscopic debridement; it does not represent distal clavicle resection. Choose based on the documented work performed.
29822Shoulder debridementLimited, one or two structures
29822 describes limited arthroscopic debridement, not removal of the distal clavicle. Debridement alone does not support this code.
23120Clavicle resectionPartial claviculectomy
23120 is the open approach for partial clavicle removal. This code is for arthroscopic distal clavicle resection.

Codes related to 29824

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 29824
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Often billed with
29826Shoulder decompression, subacromial spaceMay be performed in the same shoulder arthroscopy for separate subacromial decompression work.No office rate
29827Rotator cuff repair, arthroscopic techniqueRotator cuff repair may be performed during the same arthroscopic session.No office rate
Used instead
23120Clavicle resection, partial claviculectomyOpen approach for partial removal of the clavicle rather than arthroscopic resection.No office rate

29824 billing questions

When should this code be chosen instead of 29826?

Use this code for arthroscopic resection of the distal clavicle at the AC joint. Code 29826 describes subacromial decompression work, such as acromioplasty, rather than distal clavicle resection.

Can distal clavicle excision be reported with rotator cuff repair?

The procedures may be performed during the same shoulder arthroscopy. Report each service supported by the operative work, and account for CMS endoscopy-family pricing when related endoscopies are performed together.

What documentation supports reporting this code?

The operative report should identify the AC joint condition and describe arthroscopic removal of the distal clavicle. A diagnosis of AC joint arthritis alone does not establish that the resection was performed.

How is a bilateral procedure reported?

CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Document the work performed on each shoulder.

What postoperative care is included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. Related follow-up care during that period is part of the surgical global service.

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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 29824PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,324 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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