CPT code 29883: Meniscus repair, medial and lateral2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Reports knee arthroscopy with repair of both medial and lateral menisci, typically when tears in both compartments are treated during one operation.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29883 in Massachusetts.
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 29883 covers
During knee arthroscopy, the orthopedic surgeon uses a camera and instruments inserted through small incisions to repair torn meniscal tissue on both the medial and lateral sides of the knee. Repair may use sutures or fixation devices to stabilize the tissue. This procedure is typically performed in a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center for a patient with repairable tears in both menisci.
Report this code when the operative documentation supports repair of both menisci, not removal of torn tissue or repair of only one meniscus. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For bilateral procedures reported with modifier 50, CMS payment is 150%. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy-family pricing applies. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 29883 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston, MA | Unavailable | $855.25 |
| Rest of Massachusetts | Unavailable | $792.78 |
How the 29883 rate is calculated
Each of 29883’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 · 29883
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work11.48
11.48 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense9.64
9.64 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.41
2.41 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
23.5300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$785.92
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29883
29883 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29883
Meniscus repair, medial and lateral
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 29883
Meniscus repair, medial and lateral
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
29883 without 50 · national facility
$785.92
Meniscus repair, medial and lateral
29883-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,178.88
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).
29883 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 29882Meniscus repairMedial or lateral
- Use 29883 when both the medial and lateral menisci are repaired. Use 29882 when the arthroscopic repair involves only one meniscus.
- 29880Knee meniscectomyMedial and lateral menisci
- 29880 describes arthroscopic removal of meniscal tissue from both compartments. Choose 29883 when both menisci are repaired rather than resected.
- 29881Knee meniscectomyMedial or lateral meniscus
- 29881 describes arthroscopic removal of meniscal tissue from one compartment. It does not represent repair of both menisci.
- 29868Meniscal transplantArthroscopic knee procedure
- 29868 is for arthroscopic meniscal transplantation. This code is for repairing existing medial and lateral meniscal tissue.
29883 billing questions
How does this differ from 29882?
This code is for arthroscopic repair of both the medial and lateral menisci. Code 29882 is for repair of one meniscus.
Can meniscectomy be reported instead when tissue is removed?
No. Repair and removal are different services: use a meniscectomy code when torn meniscal tissue is resected rather than repaired. Codes 29880 and 29881 distinguish removal from both menisci versus one.
What operative documentation supports this code?
Document the repair of each meniscus, identifying medial and lateral involvement and describing the work performed. The record should distinguish repair from debridement or tissue removal.
How is bilateral knee surgery handled?
For procedures performed on both knees, CMS payment with modifier 50 is 150%. The operative record should support treatment of both knees.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be billed?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is allowed only when medical necessity is documented. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.
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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