CPT code 29843: Wrist arthroscopy, partial synovectomy2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports arthroscopic removal of part of the wrist’s inflamed synovial lining when operative treatment of synovitis is needed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29843 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.
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What 29843 covers
An orthopedic or hand surgeon uses a small camera and instruments through wrist portals to remove a portion of abnormal synovial tissue. This approach may be used for persistent inflammatory or proliferative synovitis affecting the wrist joint, including synovitis associated with inflammatory arthritis. The service is generally performed in an operating room or ambulatory surgery center, with the operative note identifying the involved joint and the synovium removed.
Report this code for a partial arthroscopic synovectomy, not a complete synovectomy or diagnostic inspection alone. Documentation should support the synovitis, the arthroscopic technique, and the partial extent of tissue removal. The service has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy-family pricing applies. For bilateral procedures, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 29843 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 | $478.45 |
| Chico, CA | Unavailable | $474.93 |
| El Centro, CA | Unavailable | $475.14 |
| Fresno, CA | Unavailable | $474.93 |
| Hanford, CA | Unavailable | $474.93 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Unavailable | $504.91 |
| Madera, CA | Unavailable | $474.93 |
| Marin County, CA | Unavailable | $558.37 |
| Merced, CA | Unavailable | $474.93 |
| Modesto, CA | Unavailable | $474.93 |
| Napa, CA | Unavailable | $533.22 |
| Oxnard, CA | Unavailable | $500.33 |
| Redding, CA | Unavailable | $474.93 |
| Rest of California | Unavailable | $474.93 |
| Riverside, CA | Unavailable | $488.68 |
| Sacramento, CA | Unavailable | $493.91 |
| Salinas, CA | Unavailable | $492.00 |
| San Benito County, CA | Unavailable | $571.92 |
| San Diego, CA | Unavailable | $500.43 |
| San Francisco, CA | Unavailable | $556.92 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Unavailable | $484.66 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Unavailable | $565.98 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | Unavailable | $502.68 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Unavailable | $492.98 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | Unavailable | $507.42 |
| Stockton, CA | Unavailable | $474.93 |
| Vallejo, CA | Unavailable | $531.13 |
| Visalia, CA | Unavailable | $474.93 |
| Yuba City, CA | Unavailable | $474.93 |
How the 29843 rate is calculated
Each of 29843’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 · 29843
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work6.00
6.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.78
6.78 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.28
1.28 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
14.0600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$469.62
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29843
29843 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29843
Wrist arthroscopy, partial synovectomy
| 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 · 29843
Wrist arthroscopy, partial synovectomy
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
29843 without 50 · national facility
$469.62
Wrist arthroscopy, partial synovectomy
29843-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$704.43
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).
29843 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 29844Wrist arthroscopyPartial synovectomy
- Choose 29843 for partial arthroscopic synovectomy; 29844 represents complete synovectomy.
- 29840Wrist arthroscopyDiagnostic examination
- 29840 is diagnostic wrist arthroscopy. This code represents operative removal of part of the synovium.
- 29845Wrist arthroscopyPartial synovectomy
- 29845 is for arthroscopic lysis of wrist adhesions, with or without manipulation, rather than partial synovectomy.
- 29846Wrist arthroscopyTFCC treatment or joint debridement
- 29846 addresses TFCC excision or repair and/or wrist joint debridement; this code is for partial synovectomy.
29843 billing questions
How is this code different from a complete wrist synovectomy?
This code is for arthroscopic removal of part of the synovium. Use 29844 when the operative service is a complete synovectomy.
Can diagnostic wrist arthroscopy be reported separately?
Diagnostic inspection is part of the operative arthroscopy when the surgeon proceeds with a synovectomy. Code 29840 describes diagnostic wrist arthroscopy when no operative arthroscopic service is performed.
What documentation supports partial synovectomy?
The operative report should identify wrist synovitis, describe the arthroscopic removal of synovial tissue, and make clear that the removal was partial rather than complete.
How is a bilateral procedure reported?
Report modifier 50 for the bilateral procedure; CMS pays it at 150%.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires 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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