Billing code 29868: Meniscal transplantMedicare rate & RVUs in Delaware
Reports arthroscopic placement and fixation of donor meniscal tissue for a knee with substantial meniscal deficiency, often after prior meniscectomy.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29868 in Delaware.
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 29868 covers
This arthroscopic knee procedure places donor meniscal tissue in a compartment with substantial meniscal loss, often after a prior meniscectomy. The orthopedic surgeon prepares the recipient site and secures the graft; the fixation method depends on the operative technique. It is performed in an operating room for selected patients with symptomatic meniscal deficiency, rather than for routine treatment of a tear that can be repaired or resected.
Report the transplant when donor meniscal tissue is placed arthroscopically; recipient-site preparation and graft fixation are part of the service. The operative report should identify the transplanted tissue, knee compartment, indication, and work performed. CMS assigns a 90-day major-surgery global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For same-session procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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.
29868 in Delaware
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Unavailable | $1,492.71 |
How the 29868 rate is calculated
Each of 29868’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 · 29868
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work24.47
24.47 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense15.62
15.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice5.19
5.19 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
45.2800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,512.39
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29868
29868 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29868
Meniscal transplant
| 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 | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 29868
Meniscal transplant
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
29868 without 50 · national facility
$1,512.39
Meniscal transplant
29868-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$2,268.59
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).
29868 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 29882Meniscus repair
- 29882 represents arthroscopic repair of the patient's meniscus. Use 29868 when donor meniscal tissue is transplanted to address meniscal deficiency.
- 29883Meniscus repair
- 29883 represents repair of menisci in both compartments. It does not describe placement of donor meniscal tissue.
- 29881Knee meniscectomy
- 29881 is for arthroscopic meniscal resection in one compartment; 29868 is for transplantation of donor meniscal tissue.
- 29867Knee allograft
- 29867 concerns arthroscopic implantation of osteochondral allograft tissue for a cartilage or bone defect, not a meniscal transplant.
29868 billing questions
How is a meniscal transplant different from a meniscal repair?
This code is for transplanting donor meniscal tissue to address substantial meniscal deficiency. A repair code is used when the patient's existing meniscus is repaired.
Does this code include graft fixation and recipient-site preparation?
Yes. Preparation of the recipient site and fixation needed for the transplant are included in the arthroscopic service.
Can modifier 50 be used for a bilateral transplant?
CMS lists bilateral reporting with modifier 50, paid at 150%. The operative documentation should support transplantation on both knees.
What documentation supports reporting this procedure?
Document the meniscal deficiency and its clinical context, the transplanted tissue and compartment, and the arthroscopic preparation and fixation performed.
When is an assistant at surgery payable?
CMS allows assistant-at-surgery payment only when medical necessity is documented.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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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