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CPT code 29823: Arthroscopic debridement2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports therapeutic shoulder arthroscopy involving extensive debridement of three or more distinct structures, such as labrum, cartilage, or rotator cuff tissue.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities69.9K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $558.80 for 29823 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 29823

Arthroscopic debridement

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
7.78
Total RVUs
16.73
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$558.80

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 29823 →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 29823 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 29823 covers

An orthopedic or sports medicine surgeon uses a shoulder arthroscope and instruments to remove or smooth damaged, unstable, or inflamed tissue in multiple distinct structures. Operative examples can include debridement of frayed labral tissue, articular cartilage, rotator cuff tissue, or synovium; the defining distinction from limited debridement is work on at least three separate structures. The service is commonly performed in an outpatient operating room or hospital operating room for conditions such as degenerative or traumatic shoulder damage.

Report the extensive service when the operative note identifies the distinct structures treated and the debridement performed on each; the amount of tissue removed or operative time alone does not establish the level. A 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When related endoscopic procedures are performed together, CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies. For bilateral procedures, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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 29823 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

29823 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$505.33
AlaskaUnavailable$681.38
ArizonaUnavailable$543.64
ArkansasUnavailable$498.72
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$574.00
Austin, TXUnavailable$567.69
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$567.06
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$593.32
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$532.88
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$547.19

29823 rates by state

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

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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
29823 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 29823 rate is calculated

Each of 29823’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 · 29823

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work7.78

7.78 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense7.39

7.39 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.56

1.56 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

16.7300

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$558.80

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 29823

29823 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 29823

Arthroscopic debridement

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 · 29823

Arthroscopic debridement

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

29823 without 50 · national facility

$558.80

Arthroscopic debridement

29823-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$838.20

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

29823 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 29823

    Arthroscopic debridement7.78 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 29822

    Shoulder debridement6.85 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 29821

    Shoulder arthroscopy7.69 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 29827

    Rotator cuff repair15.2 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 29805

    Shoulder arthroscopy5.88 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

29822Shoulder debridement
Choose 29823 for debridement involving at least three distinct structures; 29822 is the limited level for one or two.
29821Shoulder arthroscopy
29821 describes complete synovectomy. Extensive debridement is selected for therapeutic work across multiple structures, not simply removal of synovium.
29827Rotator cuff repair
29827 is arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Debridement removes or smooths tissue and does not describe repairing the cuff.
29805Shoulder arthroscopy
29805 is diagnostic shoulder arthroscopy; 29823 describes therapeutic debridement of multiple structures.

Codes related to 29823

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

Codes related to 29823
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
29822Shoulder debridementLimited shoulder debridement covers work on fewer distinct structures.No office rate
Used instead
29821Shoulder arthroscopyUse for complete shoulder synovectomy rather than general extensive debridement.No office rate
29805Shoulder arthroscopyDiagnostic shoulder arthroscopy applies when the service is diagnostic rather than therapeutic debridement.No office rate
Often billed with
29827Rotator cuff repairArthroscopic rotator cuff repair may occur in the same session; distinguish separately reportable debridement.No office rate
29824Shoulder arthroscopyArthroscopic distal clavicle work may accompany shoulder debridement; distinguish the operative services.No office rate

29823 billing questions

How is extensive debridement distinguished from limited debridement?

Extensive debridement involves at least three distinct shoulder structures. Limited debridement is the neighboring service for work on one or two structures.

What should the operative note document?

Identify each distinct structure debrided and describe the therapeutic work performed there. A general statement that the surgeon performed extensive debridement does not show which structures support the level.

Can this be reported with a shoulder repair performed during the same arthroscopy?

A separate repair may occur in the same session, but report debridement only when its work is distinct and separately reportable under applicable coding edits. CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together.

What does the 90-day global period include?

It includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

How are bilateral procedures and surgical assistance handled?

Modifier 50 is used for a bilateral procedure, with payment at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and 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
RVUs for 29823PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,323 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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