No office rate
29805 describes diagnostic shoulder arthroscopy, with or without synovial biopsy. Use 29807 when the surgeon therapeutically repairs a superior labral lesion.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
29807 Shoulder arthroscopy Medicare reimbursement rates in California
Reports arthroscopic repair of a superior labrum anterior-to-posterior lesion, typically when the surgeon reattaches the injured labrum and biceps anchor. Compare 29807 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in California.
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 29807 in California?
California has 29 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 29 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$950.77–$1125.44
29 of 29 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Chico
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $174.67 per service.
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.
Where 29807 pays more and less in California
Orthopedic surgery
About 29807: Arthroscopic superior labrum repair
Reports arthroscopic repair of a superior labrum anterior-to-posterior lesion, typically when the surgeon reattaches the injured labrum and biceps anchor.
An orthopedic surgeon uses a shoulder arthroscope and instruments to repair a superior labrum anterior-to-posterior (SLAP) lesion, often securing the labrum near the biceps anchor with suture anchors. The procedure is performed in a surgical setting for a symptomatic tear selected for repair; the operative report should identify the lesion and describe the repair. A diagnostic inspection alone does not represent this therapeutic service.
Select this code when the surgeon repairs the superior labrum, not for an anterior-inferior capsular stabilization or a rotator cuff repair. Documentation should establish the operative findings and the work performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care through day 90. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy-family pricing applies. For a bilateral procedure, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 29807
- 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
- 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 RVU14.30 · 50%
- Practice expense (office) RVU11.27 · 40%
- Malpractice RVU2.93 · 10%
1.7K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2575 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.
29807 compared with similar codes
Office rates for California, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
29806 is for arthroscopic capsular stabilization, commonly addressing shoulder instability. Code 29807 is for repair of the superior labrum near the biceps anchor.
No office rate
29828 reports arthroscopic biceps tenodesis, which changes the biceps tendon’s attachment. Code 29807 reports repair of the superior labrum; report the procedure performed.
No office rate
29827 is for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. It addresses a cuff tendon tear rather than a superior labral lesion.
Compare 29807 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.
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | Office Unavailable | Facility $958.87 |
| Chico | Office Unavailable | Facility $950.77 |
| El Centro | Office Unavailable | Facility $951.26 |
| Fresno | Office Unavailable | Facility $950.77 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office Unavailable | Facility $950.77 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $1007.51 |
| Madera | Office Unavailable | Facility $950.77 |
| Merced | Office Unavailable | Facility $950.77 |
| Modesto | Office Unavailable | Facility $950.77 |
| Napa | Office Unavailable | Facility $1053.57 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office Unavailable | Facility $996.91 |
| Redding | Office Unavailable | Facility $950.77 |
| Rest Of California | Office Unavailable | Facility $950.77 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office Unavailable | Facility $982.27 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office Unavailable | Facility $985.07 |
| Salinas | Office Unavailable | Facility $981.18 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office Unavailable | Facility $995.21 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $1098.69 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $1095.36 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $1125.44 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $1111.83 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office Unavailable | Facility $966.96 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office Unavailable | Facility $997.48 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office Unavailable | Facility $982.38 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office Unavailable | Facility $1006.67 |
| Stockton | Office Unavailable | Facility $950.77 |
| Vallejo | Office Unavailable | Facility $1048.78 |
| Visalia | Office Unavailable | Facility $950.77 |
| Yuba City | Office Unavailable | Facility $950.77 |
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29807 billing questions
How is this different from shoulder capsulorrhaphy?
This code is for repair of a superior labral lesion near the biceps anchor. Capsulorrhaphy (29806) addresses capsular or labral stabilization for shoulder instability.
Can this be reported with a rotator cuff repair?
A separate rotator cuff tear may be repaired during the same arthroscopic session. The operative note should describe the distinct findings and work for each service; CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together.
When is biceps tenodesis used instead?
Arthroscopic biceps tenodesis (29828) may be selected instead of repairing the superior labrum in some cases involving the biceps anchor. The reported service should match the procedure actually performed.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the superior labral lesion found during surgery and the arthroscopic repair performed, including the site and method of fixation when applicable. A diagnostic inspection without repair does not support this code.
How does the global period affect postoperative billing?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care through day 90. CMS also applies the listed endoscopy-family pricing when related endoscopies are performed together.
How are bilateral procedures and surgical assistants handled?
For a bilateral procedure, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons require 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.
3,31529804,,Jaw arthroscopy/surgery,A,,8.65,6.43,NA,6.43,,1.14,16.22,16.22,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,31629805,,Sho arthrs dx +- synovial bx,A,,5.88,6.35,NA,6.35,,1.21,13.44,13.44,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,31729806,,Sho arthrs srg capsulorraphy,A,,14.76,11.35,NA,11.35,,3.02,29.13,29.13,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,1,1,0,9,29805,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,31829807,,Sho arthrs srg rpr slap les,A,,14.30,11.27,NA,11.27,,2.93,28.50,28.50,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,1,1,0,9,29805,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,31929819,,Sho arthrs srg rmvl loose/fb,A,,7.60,7.37,NA,7.37,,1.50,16.47,16.47,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,1,1,0,9,29805,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,32029820,,Sho arthrs srg prtl synvct,A,,7.03,6.64,NA,6.64,,1.35,15.02,15.02,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29805,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,32129821,,Sho arthrs srg compl synvct,A,,7.69,7.46,NA,7.46,,1.54,16.69,16.69,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29805,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00