29805 describes diagnostic inspection, with or without biopsy. Use 29820 when the surgeon performs a partial synovectomy as treatment.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
29805 in Merced
Office / nonfacility
Not available in this setting
Base rate per service
Facility setting
$453.86
Base rate per service
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.
Orthopedic surgery
About 29805: Diagnostic shoulder arthroscopy
Diagnostic shoulder arthroscopy lets an orthopedic surgeon inspect the joint, with or without synovial biopsy, when a diagnostic examination is needed.
The surgeon inserts an arthroscope through small incisions to inspect the shoulder joint, including its cartilage, labrum, and synovium. A synovial biopsy may be taken during the examination. Orthopedic surgeons typically perform this service in an operating room or ambulatory surgery center when examination and imaging have not established the cause of intra-articular symptoms. The work is diagnostic; procedures that treat a finding, such as removing a loose body or repairing a lesion, are reported under the applicable surgical code instead.
Report 29805 when the operative record supports a diagnostic arthroscopic examination, whether or not a synovial biopsy is obtained. Document the shoulder examined, the structures inspected, findings, and any biopsy. If a surgical arthroscopy is performed on the same shoulder during the session, the diagnostic examination is included rather than separately reported. This code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 29805
- 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
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- 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 paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU5.88 · 44%
- Practice expense (office) RVU6.35 · 47%
- Malpractice RVU1.21 · 9%
341
Medicare services in 2024 · #3879 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.
29805 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Merced, from the same CMS release.
29821 is for complete synovectomy, not diagnostic inspection alone. A same-shoulder diagnostic examination is included when this surgical procedure is performed.
29806 reports arthroscopic capsulorrhaphy for shoulder stabilization. It is a therapeutic procedure, unlike diagnostic inspection under 29805.
29807 reports arthroscopic repair of a SLAP lesion. Use 29805 for diagnostic-only inspection; the diagnostic examination is included when the repair is performed in the same shoulder session.
The same code, a different location
How does Merced compare?
29805 across payment areas
Same release and payment basis · bars start at $0
Merced · This locality
Unavailable
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Other payment areas listed in California appear first, followed by selected cross-country examples. The chart compares amounts, not distance.
The code’s RVUs stay the same in these comparisons. Geographic adjustments to work, practice expense and malpractice change the dollar amount. A city name alone may not identify the payment area for a service address.
Compare all 108 other payment areas
Madera
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$453.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Modesto
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$453.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Napa
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$508.84
No comparable office rate is available.
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$477.77
No comparable office rate is available.
Redding
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$453.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of California
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$453.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$466.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$471.80
No comparable office rate is available.
Salinas
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$469.97
No comparable office rate is available.
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$477.86
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty)
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$532.66
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty)
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$531.29
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$545.51
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty)
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$539.89
No comparable office rate is available.
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$462.98
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$479.88
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$470.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$484.41
No comparable office rate is available.
Stockton
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$453.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Vallejo
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$506.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Visalia
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$453.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Yuba City
California · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$453.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Dc + Md/Va Suburbs
District of Columbia · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$501.83
No comparable office rate is available.
Miami
Florida · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$519.40
No comparable office rate is available.
Chicago
Illinois · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$503.68
No comparable office rate is available.
Manhattan
New York · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$519.52
No comparable office rate is available.
Alaska*
Alaska · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$542.75
No comparable office rate is available.
Alabama
Alabama · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$404.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Arkansas
Arkansas · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$399.40
No comparable office rate is available.
Arizona
Arizona · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$436.51
No comparable office rate is available.
Colorado
Colorado · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$455.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Connecticut
Connecticut · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$477.65
No comparable office rate is available.
Delaware
Delaware · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$443.26
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Lauderdale
Florida · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$484.32
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Florida
Florida · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$459.90
No comparable office rate is available.
Atlanta
Georgia · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$461.01
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Georgia
Georgia · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$433.76
No comparable office rate is available.
Hawaii, Guam
Hawaii · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$460.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Iowa
Iowa · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$406.51
No comparable office rate is available.
Idaho
Idaho · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$410.64
No comparable office rate is available.
East St. Louis
Illinois · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$472.92
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Illinois
Illinois · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$453.21
No comparable office rate is available.
Suburban Chicago
Illinois · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$487.21
No comparable office rate is available.
Indiana
Indiana · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$412.65
No comparable office rate is available.
Kansas
Kansas · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$408.50
No comparable office rate is available.
Kentucky
Kentucky · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$421.93
No comparable office rate is available.
New Orleans
Louisiana · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$441.89
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Louisiana
Louisiana · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$422.82
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Boston
Massachusetts · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$493.66
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Massachusetts
Massachusetts · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$455.09
No comparable office rate is available.
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys
Maryland · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$477.11
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maryland
Maryland · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$450.10
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maine
Maine · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$416.66
No comparable office rate is available.
Southern Maine
Maine · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$432.09
No comparable office rate is available.
Detroit
Michigan · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$469.21
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Michigan
Michigan · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$435.67
No comparable office rate is available.
Minnesota
Minnesota · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$426.61
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Kansas City
Missouri · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$435.04
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan St. Louis
Missouri · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$438.81
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Missouri
Missouri · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$418.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Mississippi
Mississippi · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$408.88
No comparable office rate is available.
Montana**
Montana · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$448.83
No comparable office rate is available.
North Carolina
North Carolina · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$420.11
No comparable office rate is available.
North Dakota**
North Dakota · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$424.90
No comparable office rate is available.
Nebraska
Nebraska · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$407.44
No comparable office rate is available.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$452.55
No comparable office rate is available.
Northern Nj
New Jersey · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$497.96
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New Jersey
New Jersey · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$480.20
No comparable office rate is available.
New Mexico
New Mexico · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$439.43
No comparable office rate is available.
Nevada**
Nevada · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$442.37
No comparable office rate is available.
Nyc Suburbs/Long Island
New York · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$536.20
No comparable office rate is available.
Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs
New York · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$486.38
No comparable office rate is available.
Queens
New York · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$517.94
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New York
New York · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$426.30
No comparable office rate is available.
Ohio
Ohio · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$430.78
No comparable office rate is available.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$417.20
No comparable office rate is available.
Portland
Oregon · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$465.25
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Oregon
Oregon · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$436.06
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Philadelphia
Pennsylvania · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$468.94
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$429.29
No comparable office rate is available.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$450.63
No comparable office rate is available.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$455.27
No comparable office rate is available.
South Carolina
South Carolina · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$426.73
No comparable office rate is available.
South Dakota**
South Dakota · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$422.07
No comparable office rate is available.
Tennessee
Tennessee · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$410.90
No comparable office rate is available.
Austin
Texas · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$457.00
No comparable office rate is available.
Beaumont
Texas · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$426.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Brazoria
Texas · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$439.68
No comparable office rate is available.
Dallas
Texas · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$444.09
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Worth
Texas · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$442.49
No comparable office rate is available.
Galveston
Texas · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$442.04
No comparable office rate is available.
Houston
Texas · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$464.19
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Texas
Texas · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$434.17
No comparable office rate is available.
Utah
Utah · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$432.06
No comparable office rate is available.
Virginia
Virginia · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$433.42
No comparable office rate is available.
Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$450.63
No comparable office rate is available.
Vermont
Vermont · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$426.82
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Washington
Washington · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$453.04
No comparable office rate is available.
Seattle (King Cnty)
Washington · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$499.48
No comparable office rate is available.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$412.03
No comparable office rate is available.
West Virginia
West Virginia · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$438.54
No comparable office rate is available.
Wyoming**
Wyoming · 29805
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$438.40
No comparable office rate is available.
See how rates vary across the country
29805 · 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 |
Where does this rate apply?
Merced is a Medicare payment area. Our Census mapping connects it to 24 cities and communities in California, including the examples shown here.
Some communities span more than one payment area. Follow a city link to compare all of its mapped areas, or check the service-location ZIP above for an address-level starting point.
Use this rate
What is a percentage of Medicare worth?
Turn a percentage into dollars for 29805 in Merced. This uses the base rate on this page, so the locality and release stay consistent.
Reference amount per service
$499.25
$453.86 × 110% = $499.25
A contract may specify another Medicare year or additional adjustments. This is percentage arithmetic on the displayed base rate, not a claim adjudication.
Working with a whole code list?
Compare an offer across your annual code mix, including an older Medicare schedule or flat per-code rates.
How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 29805 in Merced.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,316
- Code
- 29805
- Physician work
- 5.88
- Practice expense
- 6.35
- Malpractice
- 1.21
GPCI2026.csv
15
- Locality
- Merced
- Physician work
- 1.017
- Practice expense
- 1.096
- Malpractice
- 0.536
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 5.88 | × 1.017 | 5.9800 |
| Practice expense | 6.35 | × 1.096 | 6.9596 |
| Malpractice | 1.21 | × 0.536 | 0.6486 |
| Total RVUs | 13.5881 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Merced$453.86
Open 29805 in the RVU calculator →
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 5.88 | 1.017 |
| Practice expense | 6.35 | 1.096 |
| Malpractice | 1.21 | 0.536 |
(5.88 × 1.017 + 6.35 × 1.096 + 1.21 × 0.536) × $33.4009 = $453.86
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
How this rate has changed
29805 · Office / nonfacility
Rate unavailable
Effective 2026-10-01
A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.
One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.
What changed, release by release
Explore release dates and calculate this code in an earlier period →
Each row uses the accepted CMS release effective on that date and the same contractor and locality identifiers. Missing rates stay visible. Historical boundaries may differ; verify the service address for an older claim.
Inspect every release and its CMS source
| Effective from | Office / nonfacility | Facility | CMS release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $453.86 | RVU26D |
| 2026-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $453.86 | RVU26C |
| 2026-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $453.86 | RVU26B |
| 2026-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $453.86 | RVU26A |
| 2025-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $476.54 | RVU25D |
| 2025-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $476.54 | RVU25C |
| 2025-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $476.54 | RVU25B |
| 2025-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $476.54 | RVU25A |
29805 billing questions
When should 29805 be reported instead of a shoulder surgical arthroscopy code?
Use 29805 for diagnostic inspection, with or without synovial biopsy, when no therapeutic arthroscopic procedure is performed. If the surgeon treats a finding during the same shoulder session, report the applicable surgical procedure; the diagnostic examination is included.
Can 29805 be billed with a shoulder repair performed during the same session?
No. When a surgical arthroscopy is performed on the same shoulder, the diagnostic examination is included in that procedure and is not separately reported.
Does a synovial biopsy change the code selection?
No. The diagnostic shoulder arthroscopy code includes an examination performed with or without synovial biopsy. Document the biopsy and the diagnostic findings.
How is bilateral reporting handled?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure. When both shoulders are treated and modifier 50 is appropriate, payment is at 150%.
What global and multiple-procedure rules apply?
The code has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. In a session with multiple procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted for this code. 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 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.
