HCPCS code G0289: Knee arthroscopy, separate-compartment loose body2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports arthroscopic removal of a loose or foreign body, with cartilage debridement when performed, in a separate knee compartment during another surgical arthroscopy.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for G0289 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 G0289 covers
G0289 describes removal of a loose body or foreign body during another surgical knee arthroscopy when the removal occurs in a different compartment of the same knee. The service may include shaving damaged articular cartilage around the removal site. An orthopedic surgeon commonly performs it during arthroscopic meniscal surgery; for example, the primary work may address a meniscus in one compartment while a loose body is removed from another, such as the patellofemoral compartment.
Report G0289 only with a qualifying primary knee arthroscopy and document the removed body, the compartment where it was found, and how that compartment differs from the primary procedure's site. The code is an add-on, not a stand-alone service, and CMS places its payment within the primary procedure's global period. When billed bilaterally with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%. Chondroplasty in another compartment, without qualifying loose-body or foreign-body removal, does not support G0289.
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 G0289 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 | $71.38 |
| Chico, CA | Unavailable | $70.58 |
| El Centro, CA | Unavailable | $70.63 |
| Fresno, CA | Unavailable | $70.58 |
| Hanford, CA | Unavailable | $70.58 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Unavailable | $74.28 |
| Madera, CA | Unavailable | $70.58 |
| Marin County, CA | Unavailable | $78.31 |
| Merced, CA | Unavailable | $70.58 |
| Modesto, CA | Unavailable | $70.58 |
| Napa, CA | Unavailable | $75.86 |
| Oxnard, CA | Unavailable | $73.24 |
| Redding, CA | Unavailable | $70.58 |
| Rest of California | Unavailable | $70.58 |
| Riverside, CA | Unavailable | $73.70 |
| Sacramento, CA | Unavailable | $72.50 |
| Salinas, CA | Unavailable | $72.20 |
| San Benito County, CA | Unavailable | $80.25 |
| San Diego, CA | Unavailable | $72.77 |
| San Francisco, CA | Unavailable | $77.98 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Unavailable | $71.23 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Unavailable | $78.91 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | Unavailable | $72.56 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Unavailable | $72.16 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | Unavailable | $73.19 |
| Stockton, CA | Unavailable | $70.58 |
| Vallejo, CA | Unavailable | $75.38 |
| Visalia, CA | Unavailable | $70.58 |
| Yuba City, CA | Unavailable | $70.58 |
How the G0289 rate is calculated
Each of G0289’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 · G0289
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.44
1.44 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.45
0.45 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.29
0.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
2.1800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$72.81
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for G0289
The CMS indicators that decide how G0289 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · G0289
Knee arthroscopy, separate-compartment loose body
| 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) | 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
G0289 without 50 · national facility
$72.81
Knee arthroscopy, separate-compartment loose body
G0289-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$109.22
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).
G0289 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 29874Knee arthroscopyLoose or foreign body
- 29874 describes arthroscopic loose- or foreign-body removal as a primary procedure. G0289 is for qualifying removal in a different compartment during another surgical knee arthroscopy.
- 29877Knee chondroplastyArthroscopic cartilage smoothing
- 29877 describes knee arthroscopic cartilage debridement or shaving. G0289 requires loose- or foreign-body removal in a separate compartment; chondroplasty alone does not qualify.
- 29881Knee meniscectomyMedial or lateral meniscus
- 29881 reports a knee arthroscopy with meniscectomy. G0289 may be added when loose- or foreign-body removal occurs in a different compartment during that procedure.
G0289 billing questions
When is G0289 appropriate with a meniscectomy?
Use it when a loose body or foreign body is removed from a different compartment of the same knee during another surgical knee arthroscopy, such as a meniscectomy. The separate-compartment work must be documented.
Can G0289 be reported for chondroplasty alone?
No. Chondroplasty in another compartment without removal of a loose body or foreign body does not support G0289.
Can G0289 be billed by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with a qualifying primary surgical knee arthroscopy.
What documentation supports the separate-compartment service?
Document the loose body or foreign body removed, its knee compartment, and the compartment addressed by the primary arthroscopy.
How does CMS handle bilateral reporting?
When G0289 is billed bilaterally with modifier 50, CMS payment is 150%.
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.
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