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Billing code 29885: Knee arthroscopyMedicare rate & RVUs

Arthroscopic drilling of an intact knee osteochondritis dissecans lesion is reported to stimulate healing when the fragment remains stable and is not internally fixed.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities30 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $712.44 for 29885 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 29885

Knee arthroscopy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
9.95
Total RVUs
21.33
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$712.44

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 29885 → · 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 29885 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 29885 covers

An orthopedic surgeon uses a knee arthroscope and instruments passed through small portals to drill an intact osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesion. The perforations encourage blood flow and healing in the affected osteochondral area while leaving the stable fragment in place. This procedure is performed in an operating room, typically in a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center.

Report 29885 when the operative documentation supports drilling of an intact OCD lesion without internal fixation. Distinguish it from codes for drilling an OCD lesion that is not specified as intact or for drilling with fixation. 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%. 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 29885 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

29885 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$643.05
Alaska*Unavailable$866.92
ArizonaUnavailable$692.66
ArkansasUnavailable$634.49
AtlantaUnavailable$732.62
AustinUnavailable$722.97
BakersfieldUnavailable$720.76
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$757.12
BeaumontUnavailable$679.58
BrazoriaUnavailable$696.74

29885 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
29885 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 29885 rate is calculated

Each of 29885’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 · 29885

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 9.95Practice expense 9.26Malpractice 2.12

21.3300 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$712.44

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 29885

29885 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 29885

Knee 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 · 29885

Knee 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

29885 without 50 · national facility

$712.44

Knee arthroscopy

29885-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,068.66

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

29885 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

29885 vs 29886 vs 29887 vs 29879: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 29885
    Knee arthroscopy · 9.95 wRVU
    —
  • 29886
    Knee arthroscopy · 8.28 wRVU
    —
  • 29887
    OCD lesion fixation · 9.91 wRVU
    —
  • 29879
    Arthroscopic cartilage procedure · 8.77 wRVU
    —

How to choose

29886Knee arthroscopy
29885 identifies drilling of an intact OCD lesion. 29886 is used for OCD lesion drilling when the lesion is not specified as intact.
29887OCD lesion fixation
29885 describes drilling without internal fixation; 29887 is the related code for drilling with internal fixation.
29879Arthroscopic cartilage procedure
29879 describes arthroscopic abrasion arthroplasty, a different cartilage procedure. It does not identify drilling of an intact OCD lesion.

Codes related to 29885

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

Codes related to 29885
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
29886Knee arthroscopyRelated arthroscopic drilling code for an OCD lesion not specified as intact.No office rate
29887OCD lesion fixationRelated OCD drilling code when internal fixation is performed.No office rate
Used instead
29879Arthroscopic cartilage procedureArthroscopic abrasion arthroplasty is a different treatment for selected knee cartilage defects.No office rate

29885 billing questions

When should 29885 be selected instead of 29886?

Use 29885 when the surgeon documents drilling of an intact OCD lesion. Code 29886 is the related drilling code for an OCD lesion not specified as intact.

How does 29885 differ from 29887?

29885 describes drilling an intact lesion without internal fixation. Use 29887 when drilling is performed with internal fixation.

What documentation supports 29885?

The operative report should identify the OCD lesion as intact and describe arthroscopic drilling. Documenting whether the lesion was fixed helps distinguish this service from related codes.

How are bilateral procedures and surgical assistance handled?

CMS pays bilateral procedures reported with modifier 50 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 29885PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,366 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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