Billing code 27332: Knee meniscectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports open knee-joint surgery to remove meniscal cartilage from one meniscus, rather than arthroscopic treatment or removal of both menisci.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27332 in Florida.
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 27332 covers
An orthopedic surgeon performs an open arthrotomy of the knee and removes meniscal cartilage from one meniscus, medial or lateral. The service is used for a meniscal tear or other meniscal problem treated through an open joint approach, commonly in a hospital operating room. The target is the knee’s meniscus, not the articular cartilage covering the ends of the bones. Arthroscopic meniscectomy is coded differently.
Report 27332 when the operative record supports open removal from one meniscus; documentation should identify the approach and the meniscus treated. When both medial and lateral menisci are removed, consider 27333 instead. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, 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 may be available; co-surgeon payment requires 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.
Where 27332 pays more and less in Florida
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | Unavailable | $665.79 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $715.80 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $631.95 |
How the 27332 rate is calculated
Each of 27332’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 · 27332
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 8.25Practice expense 8.41Malpractice 1.75
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27332
27332 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27332
Knee meniscectomy
| 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) | 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 · 27332
Knee meniscectomy
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
27332 without 50 · national facility
$614.91
Knee meniscectomy
27332-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$922.37
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).
27332 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
27332 vs 27333 vs 29881 vs 29880: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 27333Knee meniscectomy
- 27332 is for open removal involving one meniscus; 27333 is for open removal involving both the medial and lateral menisci.
- 29881Knee meniscectomy
- Both address meniscectomy involving one meniscus, but 29881 is for an arthroscopic approach and 27332 for an open approach.
- 29880Knee meniscectomy
- 29880 is an arthroscopic procedure involving both menisci; 27332 is open removal involving one meniscus.
27332 billing questions
When should 27333 be reported instead?
Use 27333 when the open procedure removes both the medial and lateral menisci. Use 27332 for removal involving one meniscus.
How does 27332 differ from arthroscopic meniscectomy?
27332 describes an open arthrotomy approach. When the surgeon performs the meniscectomy arthroscopically, consider the applicable arthroscopy code, such as 29881 for one meniscus.
What documentation supports 27332?
The operative report should support an open approach and removal of meniscal cartilage, and identify whether the medial or lateral meniscus was treated.
Does the 90-day global include related follow-up?
Yes. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
How are bilateral procedures and other same-session procedures handled?
Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. 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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