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Billing code 29868: Meniscal transplantMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports arthroscopic placement and fixation of donor meniscal tissue for a knee with substantial meniscal deficiency, often after prior meniscectomy.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $1,512.39 for 29868 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 29868

Meniscal transplant

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
24.47
Total RVUs
45.28
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,512.39

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 29868 → · 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 29868 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 29868 covers

This arthroscopic knee procedure places donor meniscal tissue in a compartment with substantial meniscal loss, often after a prior meniscectomy. The orthopedic surgeon prepares the recipient site and secures the graft; the fixation method depends on the operative technique. It is performed in an operating room for selected patients with symptomatic meniscal deficiency, rather than for routine treatment of a tear that can be repaired or resected.

Report the transplant when donor meniscal tissue is placed arthroscopically; recipient-site preparation and graft fixation are part of the service. The operative report should identify the transplanted tissue, knee compartment, indication, and work performed. CMS assigns a 90-day major-surgery global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For same-session procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. 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 29868 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

29868 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,371.94
Alaska*Unavailable$1,877.13
ArizonaUnavailable$1,471.26
ArkansasUnavailable$1,354.75
AtlantaUnavailable$1,558.04
AustinUnavailable$1,524.53
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,510.23
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,604.64
BeaumontUnavailable$1,453.13
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,476.10

29868 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.

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View every state and territory as a table
29868 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 29868 rate is calculated

Each of 29868’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 · 29868

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 24.47Practice expense 15.62Malpractice 5.19

45.2800 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,512.39

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 29868

29868 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 29868

Meniscal transplant

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
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 · 29868

Meniscal transplant

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

29868 without 50 · national facility

$1,512.39

Meniscal transplant

29868-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$2,268.59

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

29868 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

29868 vs 29882 vs 29883 vs 29881 vs 29867: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 29868
    Meniscal transplant · 24.47 wRVU
    —
  • 29882
    Meniscus repair · 9.36 wRVU
    —
  • 29883
    Meniscus repair · 11.48 wRVU
    —
  • 29881
    Knee meniscectomy · 6.85 wRVU
    —
  • 29867
    Knee allograft · 17.93 wRVU
    —

How to choose

29882Meniscus repair
29882 represents arthroscopic repair of the patient's meniscus. Use 29868 when donor meniscal tissue is transplanted to address meniscal deficiency.
29883Meniscus repair
29883 represents repair of menisci in both compartments. It does not describe placement of donor meniscal tissue.
29881Knee meniscectomy
29881 is for arthroscopic meniscal resection in one compartment; 29868 is for transplantation of donor meniscal tissue.
29867Knee allograft
29867 concerns arthroscopic implantation of osteochondral allograft tissue for a cartilage or bone defect, not a meniscal transplant.

Codes related to 29868

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

Codes related to 29868
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
29882Meniscus repairUsed for arthroscopic repair when the patient's meniscus is suitable for repair rather than replacement.No office rate
29883Meniscus repairUsed for arthroscopic repair of menisci in both compartments rather than meniscal transplantation.No office rate
29880Knee meniscectomyUsed for arthroscopic removal of meniscal tissue when resection, rather than transplantation, is performed.No office rate
29881Knee meniscectomyUsed for arthroscopic removal of meniscal tissue in one compartment rather than transplantation.No office rate

29868 billing questions

How is a meniscal transplant different from a meniscal repair?

This code is for transplanting donor meniscal tissue to address substantial meniscal deficiency. A repair code is used when the patient's existing meniscus is repaired.

Does this code include graft fixation and recipient-site preparation?

Yes. Preparation of the recipient site and fixation needed for the transplant are included in the arthroscopic service.

Can modifier 50 be used for a bilateral transplant?

CMS lists bilateral reporting with modifier 50, paid at 150%. The operative documentation should support transplantation on both knees.

What documentation supports reporting this procedure?

Document the meniscal deficiency and its clinical context, the transplanted tissue and compartment, and the arthroscopic preparation and fixation performed.

When is an assistant at surgery payable?

CMS allows assistant-at-surgery payment only when medical necessity is documented.

What postoperative care is included in the global period?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

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 29868PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,352 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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