No office rate
Choose 29845 when the synovectomy is partial. Code 29844 represents complete removal of wrist synovium.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
29845 Wrist arthroscopy Medicare reimbursement rates in Alabama
Reports arthroscopic removal of part of the wrist synovium when diseased or inflamed tissue requires surgical treatment. Compare 29845 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Alabama.
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 29845 in Alabama?
Alabama has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$494.77
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alabama
One mapped payment locality.
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.
Orthopedic surgery
About 29845: Wrist arthroscopic partial synovectomy
Reports arthroscopic removal of part of the wrist synovium when diseased or inflamed tissue requires surgical treatment.
An orthopedic or hand surgeon uses a wrist arthroscope and instruments to remove a portion of abnormal synovial tissue lining the joint. The procedure may be performed for persistent wrist synovitis, including proliferative tissue associated with inflammatory disease. It is generally done in an operating room, such as a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center. The operative report should identify the treated wrist, the synovial abnormality, and the tissue removed.
Select this code when the surgeon performs a partial arthroscopic synovectomy; a complete synovectomy is represented by a different wrist arthroscopy code. Document the extent of tissue removal and any distinct procedures performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy family pricing applies. For bilateral reporting, 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.
CMS billing rules for 29845
- 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
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU7.50 · 46%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.42 · 45%
- Malpractice RVU1.45 · 9%
248
Medicare services in 2024 · #4144 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.
29845 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alabama, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
29843 is for arthroscopic lavage and drainage in an infected wrist. It is not the code for partial synovial tissue removal.
No office rate
29846 addresses triangular fibrocartilage treatment or wrist joint debridement; use 29845 when the documented work is partial synovectomy.
No office rate
29840 describes diagnostic wrist arthroscopy. Use 29845 when the surgeon performs partial synovial tissue removal.
Compare 29845 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.
1 of 1 payment localities
Alabama →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$494.77
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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 29845 in Alabama.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,338
- Code
- 29845
- Physician work
- 7.50
- Practice expense
- 7.42
- Malpractice
- 1.45
GPCI2026.csv
4
- Locality
- Alabama
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.875
- Malpractice
- 0.566
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 7.50 | × 1.000 | 7.5000 |
| Practice expense | 7.42 | × 0.875 | 6.4925 |
| Malpractice | 1.45 | × 0.566 | 0.8207 |
| Total RVUs | 14.8132 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Alabama$494.77
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 7.5 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 7.42 | 0.875 |
| Malpractice | 1.45 | 0.566 |
(7.5 × 1 + 7.42 × 0.875 + 1.45 × 0.566) × $33.4009 = $494.77
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.
29845 billing questions
How does this differ from code 29844?
This code represents partial removal of wrist synovium. Code 29844 is used when the surgeon performs a complete synovectomy.
When would code 29843 be more appropriate?
Code 29843 describes wrist arthroscopy for lavage and drainage in an infection setting. Use this code for partial synovial tissue removal instead.
What documentation supports partial synovectomy?
Document the synovial disease or abnormality, the wrist treated, and the arthroscopic work showing that only part of the synovium was removed.
How is bilateral wrist surgery reported?
CMS pays bilateral reporting with modifier 50 at 150%. The operative documentation should support treatment of both wrists.
What payment rules apply when other endoscopies are performed in the same session?
CMS applies endoscopy family pricing when related endoscopies are performed together. The code also has a 90-day global period; related postoperative care is included.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. 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 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.
3,33529840,,Wrist arthroscopy,A,,5.54,6.48,NA,6.48,,1.19,13.21,13.21,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33629843,,Wrist arthroscopy/surgery,A,,6.00,6.78,NA,6.78,,1.28,14.06,14.06,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29840,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33729844,,Wrist arthroscopy/surgery,A,,6.35,6.50,NA,6.50,,1.25,14.10,14.10,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,0,0,9,29840,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33829845,,Wrist arthroscopy/surgery,A,,7.50,7.42,NA,7.42,,1.45,16.37,16.37,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29840,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33929846,,Wrist arthroscopy/surgery,A,,6.72,6.60,NA,6.60,,1.29,14.61,14.61,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,0,0,0,9,29840,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,34029847,,Wrist arthroscopy/surgery,A,,7.04,6.95,NA,6.95,,1.49,15.48,15.48,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,0,0,9,29840,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,34129848,,Wrist endoscopy/surgery,A,,6.23,7.10,NA,7.10,,1.21,14.54,14.54,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1ADDENDUM E. FINAL CY 2026 GEOGRAPHIC PRACTICE COST INDICES (GPCIs) BY STATE AND MEDICARE LOCALITY,,,,,,
2,,,,,,
3Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC),State,Locality Number,Locality Name,2026 PW GPCI (with 1.0 Floor)***,2026 PE GPCI,2026 MP GPCI
410112,AL,00,ALABAMA,1.000,0.875,0.566
502102,AK,01,ALASKA*,1.500,1.065,0.551
603102,AZ,00,ARIZONA,1.000,0.969,0.856
707102,AR,13,ARKANSAS,1.000,0.859,0.515