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CPT code 29828: Biceps tenodesis, arthroscopic shoulder2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports arthroscopic fixation of the long-head biceps tendon at the shoulder for symptomatic tendon or biceps-anchor pathology treated surgically.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities43.7K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $843.71 for 29828 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 29828

Biceps tenodesis, arthroscopic shoulder

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
12.83
Total RVUs
25.26
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$843.71

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 29828 →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 29828 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 29828 covers

The surgeon uses a shoulder arthroscope to release the long-head biceps tendon from its attachment and secure it at another location, commonly on the proximal humerus. Orthopedic surgeons perform this procedure in an operating room or other surgical setting for problems such as symptomatic biceps tendon disease or biceps-anchor pathology. The operative report should identify the tendon work and fixation performed, rather than only noting that the biceps was inspected or debrided.

Report the code when arthroscopic tenodesis is performed; document the indication, operative findings, technique, and shoulder side. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. For related endoscopies performed together, CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies. A bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team-surgery payment 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 29828 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

29828 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$765.18
AlaskaUnavailable$1,040.67
ArizonaUnavailable$821.10
ArkansasUnavailable$755.52
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$867.58
Austin, TXUnavailable$853.82
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$849.74
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$895.00
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$807.98
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$825.22

29828 rates by state

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

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Explore a state

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
29828 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 29828 rate is calculated

Each of 29828’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 · 29828

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work12.83

12.83 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense9.85

9.85 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice2.58

2.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

25.2600

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$843.71

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 29828

29828 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 29828

Biceps tenodesis, arthroscopic shoulder

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 · 29828

Biceps tenodesis, arthroscopic shoulder

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

29828 without 50 · national facility

$843.71

Biceps tenodesis, arthroscopic shoulder

29828-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,265.57

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

29828 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 29828

    Biceps tenodesis, arthroscopic shoulder12.83 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 29807

    Shoulder arthroscopy, superior labrum repair14.3 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 29827

    Rotator cuff repair, arthroscopic technique15.2 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 23430

    Biceps surgery, open tendon fixation9.92 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 29826

    Shoulder decompression, subacromial space2.93 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

29807Shoulder arthroscopySuperior labrum repair
Use 29807 for arthroscopic repair of a superior labral lesion. Use 29828 when the long-head biceps tendon is released and fixed at another site.
29827Rotator cuff repairArthroscopic technique
29827 describes arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. It may accompany 29828 when the surgeon also performs and documents biceps tenodesis.
23430Biceps surgeryOpen tendon fixation
Both codes describe biceps tenodesis, but 23430 is for an open approach; 29828 describes arthroscopic shoulder treatment.
29826Shoulder decompressionSubacromial space
29826 is an add-on for qualifying arthroscopic subacromial decompression, not a code for biceps tendon fixation.

Codes related to 29828

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

Codes related to 29828
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Often billed with
29827Rotator cuff repair, arthroscopic techniqueArthroscopic rotator cuff repair may be performed during the same shoulder operation.No office rate
29824Shoulder arthroscopy, distal clavicle resectionArthroscopic distal clavicle excision may be performed in the same shoulder operation.No office rate
Add-on codes
29826Shoulder decompression, subacromial spaceAdd-on code for qualifying arthroscopic subacromial decompression performed with this primary procedure.No office rate
Used instead
29807Shoulder arthroscopy, superior labrum repairRepairs a superior labral lesion rather than relocating and fixing the biceps tendon.No office rate
23430Biceps surgery, open tendon fixationDescribes biceps tenodesis performed by an open approach rather than arthroscopically.No office rate

29828 billing questions

How is this different from arthroscopic SLAP repair?

29828 moves and fixes the long-head biceps tendon. 29807 repairs a superior labral lesion, so the operative work and documented treatment determine which code describes the procedure.

Can this be reported with arthroscopic rotator cuff repair?

29828 may be performed during the same shoulder operation as 29827 when both procedures are actually performed and documented. CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together.

How should bilateral treatment be reported?

For a bilateral procedure, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

What postoperative care is included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery.

What documentation supports reporting this code?

Document the biceps tendon pathology, arthroscopic release and fixation, operative findings, and side. A note describing only inspection or debridement does not establish that tenodesis was performed.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; CMS does not permit team-surgery payment.

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 29828PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,328 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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