Billing code 29827: Rotator cuff repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports arthroscopic repair of a torn shoulder rotator cuff, typically performed by an orthopedic surgeon using sutures and anchors to secure the tendon.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29827 in Alaska.
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 9 sections
What 29827 covers
An orthopedic surgeon performs this procedure through a shoulder arthroscope, repairing a torn rotator cuff tendon with sutures, often secured to the bone with anchors. It is commonly performed in a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center for patients whose shoulder tear is treated operatively. The operative report should establish that the surgeon repaired the cuff, rather than only inspecting the joint or removing damaged tissue.
Report the code for the arthroscopic cuff repair, with documentation identifying the treated shoulder, tear, and repair performed. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included. When related endoscopic procedures are performed together, endoscopy-family pricing applies. Modifier 50 is used for a bilateral procedure, paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require 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.
29827 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $1,208.25 |
How the 29827 rate is calculated
Each of 29827’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 · 29827
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work15.20
15.20 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense10.98
10.98 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.05
3.05 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
29.2300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$976.31
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29827
29827 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29827
Rotator cuff repair
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 29827
Rotator cuff repair
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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
29827 without 50 · national facility
$976.31
Rotator cuff repair
29827-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,464.47
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).
29827 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 23412Rotator cuff repair
- 23412 describes an open rotator cuff repair. Use 29827 when the cuff repair is performed arthroscopically.
- 29807Shoulder arthroscopy
- 29807 reports arthroscopic repair of a SLAP lesion, a labral injury, rather than repair of a rotator cuff tendon.
- 29828Biceps tenodesis
- 29828 reports arthroscopic biceps tenodesis. It may accompany a cuff repair, but it does not represent repair of the rotator cuff.
29827 billing questions
How is this different from an open rotator cuff repair?
Report 29827 when the cuff repair is performed arthroscopically. An open repair is reported with the applicable open repair code, such as 23412.
Can 29826 be reported with this repair?
29826 is an add-on code for arthroscopic shoulder decompression and may be reported with 29827 when the decompression is performed and documented. Endoscopy-family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together.
Does the 90-day global period include postoperative visits?
Yes. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
What should the operative report document?
Document the shoulder treated, the rotator cuff tear, and the arthroscopic repair performed. The report should make clear that the surgeon repaired the tendon, not merely debrided tissue or treated a different shoulder lesion.
How is a bilateral repair reported?
Use modifier 50 for a bilateral procedure; Medicare pays the bilateral procedure at 150%. The documentation should support repair of both shoulders.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. 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 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
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