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Billing code 29837: Elbow arthroscopyMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports arthroscopic cleanup of a limited area of damaged tissue in the elbow when the surgeon performs therapeutic debridement rather than synovectomy or loose-body removal.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities111 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $506.69 for 29837 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 29837

Elbow arthroscopy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
6.83
Total RVUs
15.17
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$506.69

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 29837 → · 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 29837 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 29837 covers

An orthopedic surgeon uses an arthroscope and instruments through small portals to remove a limited amount of damaged tissue from inside the elbow joint. The work may address a focal area of unstable articular cartilage or synovial tissue. This is a therapeutic procedure, commonly performed in an operating room or ambulatory surgery center for a patient with symptomatic elbow-joint pathology; it is distinct from simply inspecting the joint or removing a loose body.

Select this code when the operative report supports limited debridement, rather than extensive debridement or a separately defined procedure such as synovectomy. Document the treated tissue, location, and extent of work. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of 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 29837 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

29837 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$456.91
Alaska*Unavailable$613.97
ArizonaUnavailable$492.58
ArkansasUnavailable$450.75
AtlantaUnavailable$520.79
AustinUnavailable$514.97
BakersfieldUnavailable$514.18
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$538.62
BeaumontUnavailable$482.54
BrazoriaUnavailable$495.79

29837 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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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
29837 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 29837 rate is calculated

Each of 29837’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 · 29837

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 6.83Practice expense 6.89Malpractice 1.45

15.1700 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$506.69

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 29837

29837 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 29837

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 · 29837

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

29837 without 50 · national facility

$506.69

Elbow arthroscopy

29837-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$760.04

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

29837 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

29837 vs 29838 vs 29834 vs 29835 vs 29836: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 29837
    Elbow arthroscopy · 6.83 wRVU
    —
  • 29838
    Elbow debridement · 7.68 wRVU
    —
  • 29834
    Elbow arthroscopy · 6.26 wRVU
    —
  • 29835
    Elbow arthroscopy · 6.45 wRVU
    —
  • 29836
    Elbow arthroscopy · 7.53 wRVU
    —

How to choose

29838Elbow debridement
Both report elbow arthroscopic debridement, but 29838 is for extensive work. The operative report should support the extent selected.
29834Elbow arthroscopy
29834 reports removal of a loose or foreign body; 29837 reports limited debridement of tissue.
29835Elbow arthroscopy
29835 is for partial synovectomy. Choose 29837 when the work is limited debridement rather than removal of synovium as a synovectomy.
29836Elbow arthroscopy
29836 reports complete synovectomy. It is not the code for limited debridement of other elbow-joint tissue.

Codes related to 29837

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

Codes related to 29837
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
29830Elbow arthroscopyDiagnostic elbow arthroscopy when the procedure involves inspection without therapeutic arthroscopic treatment.No office rate
Same family
29834Elbow arthroscopyElbow arthroscopy for removal of a loose or foreign body rather than limited tissue debridement.No office rate
29835Elbow arthroscopyElbow arthroscopy for partial synovectomy, a distinct synovial-tissue procedure.No office rate
29838Elbow debridementElbow arthroscopy for extensive rather than limited debridement.No office rate

29837 billing questions

How does limited debridement differ from extensive debridement?

Use 29837 for limited debridement and 29838 for extensive debridement. The operative report should describe the tissue treated and the extent of the work.

When is 29834 a better choice?

29834 describes arthroscopic removal of a loose or foreign body. Use 29837 for limited tissue debridement, not simply because fragments are present.

Can diagnostic elbow arthroscopy be reported separately?

Diagnostic inspection performed as part of the surgical arthroscopy is included in the operative service. Code 29830 is for diagnostic arthroscopy when no therapeutic arthroscopic procedure is performed.

How should bilateral elbow procedures be reported?

For a bilateral procedure, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure 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-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 29837PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,333 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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