CPT code 29834: Elbow arthroscopy, loose or foreign body removal2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports arthroscopic removal of a loose or foreign body from the elbow when a surgeon treats a fragment or object within the joint.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29834 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 29834 covers
An orthopedic surgeon uses an arthroscope and instruments passed through small portals to locate and remove a loose fragment or foreign object in the elbow joint. A typical situation is removal of a free osteochondral fragment after an elbow injury or in a degenerative joint. This is a therapeutic procedure, not simply inspection of the joint.
Report the service when the operative record supports arthroscopic removal of a loose or foreign body; document the treated elbow and the finding and removal. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Endoscopy-family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 29834 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 | $476.85 |
| Beaumont, TX | Unavailable | $446.06 |
| Brazoria, TX | Unavailable | $459.07 |
| Dallas, TX | Unavailable | $463.65 |
| Fort Worth, TX | Unavailable | $462.02 |
| Galveston, TX | Unavailable | $461.53 |
| Houston, TX | Unavailable | $484.59 |
| Rest of Texas | Unavailable | $453.44 |
How the 29834 rate is calculated
Each of 29834’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 · 29834
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work6.26
6.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.51
6.51 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.26
1.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
14.0300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$468.61
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29834
29834 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29834
Elbow 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) | 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. |
| 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 · 29834
Elbow 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
29834 without 50 · national facility
$468.61
Elbow arthroscopy, loose or foreign body removal
29834-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$702.92
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).
29834 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 29830Elbow arthroscopyDiagnostic examination
- 29830 is diagnostic elbow arthroscopy. Choose 29834 when the surgeon arthroscopically removes a loose or foreign body.
- 29835Elbow arthroscopyPartial synovectomy
- 29835 is for partial synovectomy, not removal of a loose or foreign body.
- 29837Elbow arthroscopyLimited debridement
- 29837 describes limited elbow debridement. Use 29834 when the documented therapeutic work is removal of a loose or foreign body.
29834 billing questions
How is this different from diagnostic elbow arthroscopy?
This code describes therapeutic removal of a loose or foreign body. Diagnostic elbow arthroscopy, such as 29830, is for inspection without this removal service.
When should I choose a synovectomy or debridement code instead?
Use the elbow code that matches the work documented: 29835 or 29836 for synovectomy, and 29837 or 29838 for debridement. This code is for removing a loose or foreign body.
What does the 90-day global period include?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
How is bilateral elbow surgery reported?
For a bilateral procedure, report modifier 50; CMS pays this code at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; 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
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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