$529.87–$782.08
29870 is for diagnostic knee arthroscopy, with or without synovial biopsy. Choose 29871 when the surgeon therapeutically lavages and drains an infected knee.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
29871 Knee arthroscopy Medicare reimbursement rates
Reports arthroscopic surgical lavage and drainage of an infected knee joint, typically performed to treat septic arthritis rather than for diagnostic inspection alone. Compare 29871 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 29871?
The service location and office or facility setting determine which base rate applies. These are the supported base rates for the 109 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$437.24–$595.34
109 of 109 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Arkansas
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $158.10 per service.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Where 29871 pays more and less
Orthopedic surgery
About 29871: Arthroscopic knee infection drainage
Reports arthroscopic surgical lavage and drainage of an infected knee joint, typically performed to treat septic arthritis rather than for diagnostic inspection alone.
An orthopedic surgeon uses an arthroscope and instruments to access an infected knee joint, wash out the joint, and drain infectious material. This service is commonly performed in a hospital or ambulatory surgery facility for septic arthritis. The operative record should identify the infection and describe the arthroscopic lavage and drainage performed; a diagnostic look alone does not describe this treatment.
Select this code when arthroscopy is the method used to surgically treat the knee infection, rather than when the primary service is synovectomy or another distinct knee procedure. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy family pricing applies. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 29871
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Endoscopy family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU6.52 · 44%
- Practice expense (office) RVU6.84 · 46%
- Malpractice RVU1.35 · 9%
1.2K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2870 by national volume
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.
29871 compared with similar codes
Office rate ranges across all CMS payment localities, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
29875 describes limited knee synovectomy. It is not the code for arthroscopic infection lavage and drainage.
No office rate
29876 describes major knee synovectomy. Distinguish extensive synovial removal from lavage and drainage performed to treat infection.
No office rate
27310 represents an open knee-joint approach for drainage or related work. Use 29871 when the infection is treated arthroscopically.
See how rates vary across the country
29871 · Office / nonfacility · Non-QP. Choose a state to explore its payment localities. A range means the amount varies within that state.
Explore a state
Local rates. Clear comparisons.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
View all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | No published base rate | 1 |
| AL | No published base rate | 1 |
| AR | No published base rate | 1 |
| AZ | No published base rate | 1 |
| CA | No published base rate | 29 |
| CO | No published base rate | 1 |
| CT | No published base rate | 1 |
| DC | No published base rate | 1 |
| DE | No published base rate | 1 |
| FL | No published base rate | 3 |
| GA | No published base rate | 2 |
| GU | No published base rate | 1 |
| HI | No published base rate | 1 |
| IA | No published base rate | 1 |
| ID | No published base rate | 1 |
| IL | No published base rate | 4 |
| IN | No published base rate | 1 |
| KS | No published base rate | 1 |
| KY | No published base rate | 1 |
| LA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MD | No published base rate | 3 |
| ME | No published base rate | 2 |
| MI | No published base rate | 2 |
| MN | No published base rate | 1 |
| MO | No published base rate | 3 |
| MS | No published base rate | 1 |
| MT | No published base rate | 1 |
| NC | No published base rate | 1 |
| ND | No published base rate | 1 |
| NE | No published base rate | 1 |
| NH | No published base rate | 1 |
| NJ | No published base rate | 2 |
| NM | No published base rate | 1 |
| NV | No published base rate | 1 |
| NY | No published base rate | 5 |
| OH | No published base rate | 1 |
| OK | No published base rate | 1 |
| OR | No published base rate | 2 |
| PA | No published base rate | 2 |
| PR | No published base rate | 1 |
| RI | No published base rate | 1 |
| SC | No published base rate | 1 |
| SD | No published base rate | 1 |
| TN | No published base rate | 1 |
| TX | No published base rate | 8 |
| UT | No published base rate | 1 |
| VA | No published base rate | 2 |
| VI | No published base rate | 1 |
| VT | No published base rate | 1 |
| WA | No published base rate | 2 |
| WI | No published base rate | 1 |
| WV | No published base rate | 1 |
| WY | No published base rate | 1 |
Compare 29871 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
109 of 109 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Office Unavailable | Facility $443.20 |
| Alaska* | Office Unavailable | Facility $594.82 |
| Arizona | Office Unavailable | Facility $477.75 |
| Arkansas | Office Unavailable | Facility $437.24 |
| Atlanta | Office Unavailable | Facility $504.70 |
| Austin | Office Unavailable | Facility $499.87 |
| Bakersfield | Office Unavailable | Facility $499.77 |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | Office Unavailable | Facility $522.18 |
| Beaumont | Office Unavailable | Facility $467.56 |
| Brazoria | Office Unavailable | Facility $481.09 |
| Chicago | Office Unavailable | Facility $552.39 |
| Chico | Office Unavailable | Facility $496.04 |
| Colorado | Office Unavailable | Facility $498.69 |
| Connecticut | Office Unavailable | Facility $522.74 |
| Dallas | Office Unavailable | Facility $485.97 |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Office Unavailable | Facility $548.85 |
| Delaware | Office Unavailable | Facility $485.12 |
| Detroit | Office Unavailable | Facility $514.26 |
| East St. Louis | Office Unavailable | Facility $518.77 |
| El Centro | Office Unavailable | Facility $496.26 |
| Fort Lauderdale | Office Unavailable | Facility $530.73 |
| Fort Worth | Office Unavailable | Facility $484.27 |
| Fresno | Office Unavailable | Facility $496.04 |
| Galveston | Office Unavailable | Facility $483.71 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office Unavailable | Facility $496.04 |
| Hawaii, Guam | Office Unavailable | Facility $503.64 |
| Houston | Office Unavailable | Facility $508.42 |
| Idaho | Office Unavailable | Facility $449.29 |
| Indiana | Office Unavailable | Facility $451.47 |
| Iowa | Office Unavailable | Facility $444.72 |
| Kansas | Office Unavailable | Facility $447.03 |
| Kentucky | Office Unavailable | Facility $462.14 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $526.91 |
| Madera | Office Unavailable | Facility $496.04 |
| Manhattan | Office Unavailable | Facility $568.70 |
| Merced | Office Unavailable | Facility $496.04 |
| Metropolitan Boston | Office Unavailable | Facility $539.62 |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Office Unavailable | Facility $476.35 |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | Office Unavailable | Facility $513.32 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Office Unavailable | Facility $480.45 |
| Miami | Office Unavailable | Facility $569.64 |
| Minnesota | Office Unavailable | Facility $466.21 |
| Mississippi | Office Unavailable | Facility $447.80 |
| Modesto | Office Unavailable | Facility $496.04 |
| Montana** | Office Unavailable | Facility $491.24 |
| Napa | Office Unavailable | Facility $555.51 |
| Nebraska | Office Unavailable | Facility $445.69 |
| Nevada** | Office Unavailable | Facility $484.03 |
| New Hampshire | Office Unavailable | Facility $495.06 |
| New Mexico | Office Unavailable | Facility $481.43 |
| New Orleans | Office Unavailable | Facility $483.98 |
| North Carolina | Office Unavailable | Facility $459.74 |
| North Dakota** | Office Unavailable | Facility $464.54 |
| Northern Nj | Office Unavailable | Facility $544.67 |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | Office Unavailable | Facility $587.09 |
| Ohio | Office Unavailable | Facility $471.81 |
| Oklahoma | Office Unavailable | Facility $456.83 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office Unavailable | Facility $522.01 |
| Portland | Office Unavailable | Facility $508.63 |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | Office Unavailable | Facility $532.30 |
| Puerto Rico | Office Unavailable | Facility $493.16 |
| Queens | Office Unavailable | Facility $566.78 |
| Redding | Office Unavailable | Facility $496.04 |
| Rest Of California | Office Unavailable | Facility $496.04 |
| Rest Of Florida | Office Unavailable | Facility $503.96 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Office Unavailable | Facility $475.31 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Office Unavailable | Facility $496.84 |
| Rest Of Louisiana | Office Unavailable | Facility $463.16 |
| Rest Of Maine | Office Unavailable | Facility $456.01 |
| Rest Of Maryland | Office Unavailable | Facility $492.55 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Office Unavailable | Facility $497.77 |
| Rest Of Michigan | Office Unavailable | Facility $477.27 |
| Rest Of Missouri | Office Unavailable | Facility $458.63 |
| Rest Of New Jersey | Office Unavailable | Facility $525.43 |
| Rest Of New York | Office Unavailable | Facility $466.51 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Office Unavailable | Facility $477.02 |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | Office Unavailable | Facility $470.11 |
| Rest Of Texas | Office Unavailable | Facility $475.30 |
| Rest Of Washington | Office Unavailable | Facility $495.49 |
| Rhode Island | Office Unavailable | Facility $498.13 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office Unavailable | Facility $510.55 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office Unavailable | Facility $515.48 |
| Salinas | Office Unavailable | Facility $513.48 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office Unavailable | Facility $521.99 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $581.29 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $579.76 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $595.34 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $589.07 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office Unavailable | Facility $505.86 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office Unavailable | Facility $524.10 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office Unavailable | Facility $514.43 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office Unavailable | Facility $529.03 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $545.83 |
| South Carolina | Office Unavailable | Facility $467.20 |
| South Dakota** | Office Unavailable | Facility $461.39 |
| Southern Maine | Office Unavailable | Facility $472.63 |
| Stockton | Office Unavailable | Facility $496.04 |
| Suburban Chicago | Office Unavailable | Facility $533.83 |
| Tennessee | Office Unavailable | Facility $449.66 |
| Utah | Office Unavailable | Facility $473.02 |
| Vallejo | Office Unavailable | Facility $553.30 |
| Vermont | Office Unavailable | Facility $466.77 |
| Virgin Islands | Office Unavailable | Facility $493.16 |
| Virginia | Office Unavailable | Facility $474.19 |
| Visalia | Office Unavailable | Facility $496.04 |
| West Virginia | Office Unavailable | Facility $480.83 |
| Wisconsin | Office Unavailable | Facility $450.53 |
| Wyoming** | Office Unavailable | Facility $479.60 |
| Yuba City | Office Unavailable | Facility $496.04 |
Need rates for a whole code list?
Fee-sheet and API access are in early access. Tell us which codes and locations your team needs.
29871 billing questions
When should this be reported instead of diagnostic knee arthroscopy?
Report this code when the surgeon performs arthroscopic lavage and drainage to treat a knee infection. Diagnostic inspection without that therapeutic work is a different service.
Is synovectomy included in this code?
This code identifies arthroscopic treatment of infection by lavage and drainage, not synovectomy based on the extent of synovial removal. Document any distinct procedure performed and evaluate it under its own coding rules.
How is bilateral knee treatment handled?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Document the work on both knees.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
What happens when related endoscopies are performed together?
CMS applies endoscopy family pricing when related endoscopies are performed together. The operative documentation should support each procedure reported.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
3,35129867,,Allgrft implnt knee w/scope,A,,17.93,13.53,NA,13.53,,3.83,35.29,35.29,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,35229868,,Meniscal trnspl knee w/scpe,A,,24.47,15.62,NA,15.62,,5.19,45.28,45.28,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,35329870,,Arthrs knee dx w/wo syn bx,A,,5.06,11.96,,5.88,,1.03,18.05,11.97,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,35429871,,Arthrs knee surg for infctj,A,,6.52,6.84,NA,6.84,,1.35,14.71,14.71,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,1,0,0,9,29870,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,35529873,,Arthrs knee surg w/lat rls,A,,6.08,8.26,NA,8.26,,1.26,15.60,15.60,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,1,1,0,9,29870,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,35629874,,Arthrs knee surg rmv loos/fb,A,,7.01,6.72,NA,6.72,,1.42,15.15,15.15,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,0,0,0,9,29870,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,35729875,,Arthrs knee surg synvct lmtd,A,,6.29,6.60,NA,6.60,,1.31,14.20,14.20,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,0,0,0,9,29870,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00