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

CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29824 in California.

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

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 in California

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

29 of 29 payment localities

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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 29824

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

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 50

29824 compared with similar codes

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.

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates