CPT code 29826: Shoulder decompression, subacromial space2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports arthroscopic subacromial decompression, including partial acromioplasty, when performed with an eligible primary shoulder arthroscopy for impingement.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29826 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.
Your location
On this page 9 sections
What 29826 covers
An orthopedic surgeon uses a shoulder arthroscope and instruments to create more room in the subacromial space, typically by removing part of the acromion’s undersurface; release of the coracoacromial ligament may also be performed. The service is commonly part of arthroscopic treatment of shoulder impingement and may accompany procedures such as rotator cuff repair or distal clavicle excision.
Code 29826 is an add-on, not a stand-alone arthroscopy service. Report it with an eligible primary shoulder arthroscopy and document the decompression performed, including the acromial work and any ligament release. CMS pays it within the primary procedure’s global period. For a bilateral procedure reported with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%.
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 29826 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
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | Unavailable | $144.83 |
| Chico, CA | Unavailable | $143.22 |
| El Centro, CA | Unavailable | $143.32 |
| Fresno, CA | Unavailable | $143.22 |
| Hanford, CA | Unavailable | $143.22 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Unavailable | $150.70 |
| Madera, CA | Unavailable | $143.22 |
| Marin County, CA | Unavailable | $158.91 |
| Merced, CA | Unavailable | $143.22 |
| Modesto, CA | Unavailable | $143.22 |
| Napa, CA | Unavailable | $153.93 |
| Oxnard, CA | Unavailable | $148.60 |
| Redding, CA | Unavailable | $143.22 |
| Rest of California | Unavailable | $143.22 |
| Riverside, CA | Unavailable | $149.46 |
| Sacramento, CA | Unavailable | $147.12 |
| Salinas, CA | Unavailable | $146.51 |
| San Benito County, CA | Unavailable | $162.84 |
| San Diego, CA | Unavailable | $147.65 |
| San Francisco, CA | Unavailable | $158.25 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Unavailable | $144.53 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Unavailable | $160.15 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | Unavailable | $147.23 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Unavailable | $146.43 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | Unavailable | $148.51 |
| Stockton, CA | Unavailable | $143.22 |
| Vallejo, CA | Unavailable | $152.98 |
| Visalia, CA | Unavailable | $143.22 |
| Yuba City, CA | Unavailable | $143.22 |
How the 29826 rate is calculated
Each of 29826’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 · 29826
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.93
2.93 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.91
0.91 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.58
0.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
4.4200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$147.63
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29826
The CMS indicators that decide how 29826 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 29826
Shoulder decompression, subacromial space
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
29826 without 50 · national facility
$147.63
Shoulder decompression, subacromial space
29826-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$221.45
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).
29826 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 29822Shoulder debridementLimited, one or two structures
- Use 29822 for limited arthroscopic debridement; 29826 describes subacromial decompression with acromial bone work, not simply tissue cleanup.
- 29823Arthroscopic debridementExtensive, three or more structures
- Use 29823 for extensive arthroscopic debridement. It does not represent the acromial decompression service captured by 29826.
- 29824Shoulder arthroscopyDistal clavicle resection
- 29824 is for arthroscopic distal clavicle excision. It may be a primary procedure paired with 29826, but it describes different bone work.
- 29827Rotator cuff repairArthroscopic technique
- 29827 describes arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Add 29826 only when subacromial decompression is also performed and documented.
29826 billing questions
Can 29826 be reported by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with an eligible primary shoulder arthroscopy.
Can 29826 be reported with a rotator cuff repair?
Yes. It may be reported with 29827 when the surgeon also performs and documents the subacromial decompression.
How is 29826 different from 29822 or 29823?
29826 represents subacromial decompression with acromial bone work, while 29822 and 29823 represent limited or extensive arthroscopic debridement.
What should the operative report support?
Document the subacromial decompression, including the acromial work and whether the coracoacromial ligament was released, as well as the separately reportable primary arthroscopy.
How is a bilateral procedure reported under the CMS rule?
Report modifier 50 for the bilateral procedure; CMS pays 150%.
Is 29826 paid outside the primary procedure's global period?
No. CMS identifies this add-on as paid within the global period of its primary procedure.
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
Fee sheets · Coming soon
Put 29826 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Join the waitlist