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Billing code 29834: Elbow arthroscopyMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports arthroscopic removal of a loose or foreign body from the elbow when a surgeon treats a fragment or object within the joint.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities454 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $468.61 for 29834 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 29834

Elbow arthroscopy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
6.26
Total RVUs
14.03
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$468.61

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 29834 → · 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.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 29834 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 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

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

29834 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$423.17
Alaska*Unavailable$568.40
ArizonaUnavailable$455.81
ArkansasUnavailable$417.54
AtlantaUnavailable$481.18
AustinUnavailable$476.85
BakersfieldUnavailable$477.01
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$497.81
BeaumontUnavailable$446.06
BrazoriaUnavailable$459.07

29834 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
29834 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 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

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 6.26Practice expense 6.51Malpractice 1.26

14.0300 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$468.61

All indexes start 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

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 · 29834

Elbow arthroscopy

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.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned 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

29834 without 50 · national facility

$468.61

Elbow arthroscopy

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).

When to use modifier 50

29834 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

29834 vs 29830 vs 29835 vs 29837: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 29834
    Elbow arthroscopy · 6.26 wRVU
    —
  • 29830
    Elbow arthroscopy · 5.73 wRVU
    —
  • 29835
    Elbow arthroscopy · 6.45 wRVU
    —
  • 29837
    Elbow arthroscopy · 6.83 wRVU
    —

How to choose

29830Elbow arthroscopy
29830 is diagnostic elbow arthroscopy. Choose 29834 when the surgeon arthroscopically removes a loose or foreign body.
29835Elbow arthroscopy
29835 is for partial synovectomy, not removal of a loose or foreign body.
29837Elbow arthroscopy
29837 describes limited elbow debridement. Use 29834 when the documented therapeutic work is removal of a loose or foreign body.

Codes related to 29834

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

Codes related to 29834
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
29830Elbow arthroscopyDiagnostic elbow arthroscopy when the encounter involves inspection rather than loose-body removal.No office rate
Same family
29835Elbow arthroscopyElbow arthroscopy code for partial synovectomy.No office rate
29836Elbow arthroscopyElbow arthroscopy code for complete synovectomy.No office rate
29837Elbow arthroscopyElbow arthroscopy code for limited debridement.No office rate
29838Elbow debridementElbow arthroscopy code for extensive debridement.No office rate

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
RVUs for 29834PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,330 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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