No office rate
Both describe arthroscopic elbow debridement. Choose 29838 for extensive work and 29837 for limited work, as supported by the operative report.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
29838 Elbow debridement Medicare reimbursement rates in Alaska
Report this code when an orthopedic surgeon performs extensive arthroscopic debridement of abnormal tissue within the elbow joint, beyond limited cleanup. Compare 29838 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Alaska.
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 29838 in Alaska?
Alaska 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
$679.91
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alaska*
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 29838: Extensive elbow arthroscopic debridement
Report this code when an orthopedic surgeon performs extensive arthroscopic debridement of abnormal tissue within the elbow joint, beyond limited cleanup.
An orthopedic surgeon uses an arthroscope and instruments passed through small incisions to remove substantial damaged or diseased tissue from inside the elbow joint. The procedure may address extensive cartilage or other tissue changes associated with elbow arthritis or injury. It is performed in an operating room, commonly in a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center, when the surgeon determines that arthroscopic treatment is appropriate.
Choose this code when the operative report supports extensive debridement rather than the limited work represented by 29837. Document the treated structures, location, and extent of tissue removal; the term “extensive” alone does not establish the service. 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%. An assistant at surgery is paid only with medical-necessity documentation; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 29838
- 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 is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU7.68 · 46%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.50 · 45%
- Malpractice RVU1.54 · 9%
582
Medicare services in 2024 · #3423 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.
29838 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alaska, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
This code is for extensive debridement; 29834 is for arthroscopic removal of a loose body or foreign body.
No office rate
29835 describes partial synovectomy. Use 29838 for extensive debridement of abnormal tissue rather than synovial removal as the defining procedure.
No office rate
29830 is diagnostic elbow arthroscopy. Use 29838 when the surgeon performs extensive therapeutic debridement.
Compare 29838 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
Alaska* →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$679.91
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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 29838 in Alaska*.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,334
- Code
- 29838
- Physician work
- 7.68
- Practice expense
- 7.50
- Malpractice
- 1.54
GPCI2026.csv
5
- Locality
- Alaska*
- Physician work
- 1.500
- Practice expense
- 1.065
- Malpractice
- 0.551
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 7.68 | × 1.500 | 11.5200 |
| Practice expense | 7.50 | × 1.065 | 7.9875 |
| Malpractice | 1.54 | × 0.551 | 0.8485 |
| Total RVUs | 20.3560 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Alaska*$679.91
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 7.68 | 1.5 |
| Practice expense | 7.5 | 1.065 |
| Malpractice | 1.54 | 0.551 |
(7.68 × 1.5 + 7.5 × 1.065 + 1.54 × 0.551) × $33.4009 = $679.91
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.
29838 billing questions
How do I choose between 29838 and 29837?
Use 29838 when the operative report supports extensive arthroscopic debridement. Use 29837 for limited debridement; document the treated areas and the extent of work rather than relying on the code label alone.
Does removal of a loose body point to this code?
When the operative objective is arthroscopic removal of a loose body or foreign body, compare 29834. The documentation should identify the actual work performed; do not infer extensive debridement from loose-body removal alone.
How does CMS price related endoscopies performed together?
CMS applies endoscopy family pricing when related endoscopies are performed together. This payment rule does not, by itself, determine which services are separately reportable.
Can I report modifier 50 for both elbows?
For a bilateral procedure, CMS pays modifier 50 at 150%. The record should support treatment of both elbows.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
When is an assistant at surgery payable?
CMS pays an assistant at surgery only when documentation supports medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.
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.
3,33129835,,Elbow arthroscopy/surgery,A,,6.45,6.77,NA,6.77,,1.36,14.58,14.58,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29830,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33229836,,Elbow arthroscopy/surgery,A,,7.53,7.43,NA,7.43,,1.45,16.41,16.41,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29830,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33329837,,Elbow arthroscopy/surgery,A,,6.83,6.89,NA,6.89,,1.45,15.17,15.17,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29830,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33429838,,Elbow arthroscopy/surgery,A,,7.68,7.50,NA,7.50,,1.54,16.72,16.72,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,0,0,0,9,29830,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
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
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
801112,CA,54,BAKERSFIELD,1.019,1.096,0.609