Billing code 29894: Ankle arthroscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports ankle arthroscopy to remove a loose body or foreign material from the ankle joint, such as a mobile osteochondral fragment after injury.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29894 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 29894 covers
An orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon uses an arthroscope and instruments through small portals to locate and remove a loose body or foreign material from the ankle joint. A common clinical situation is a mobile osteochondral fragment following an ankle injury that causes catching or limits motion. The procedure is typically performed in a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center.
Report 29894 when removal of the loose or foreign body is the operative service; the operative report should identify the ankle joint, the material removed, and the arthroscopic work. The code has 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-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.
Where 29894 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 | $509.89 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $544.26 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $486.52 |
How the 29894 rate is calculated
Each of 29894’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 · 29894
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 7.17Practice expense 5.85Malpractice 1.20
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29894
29894 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29894
Ankle arthroscopy
| 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 · 29894
Ankle arthroscopy
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
29894 without 50 · national facility
$474.96
Ankle arthroscopy
29894-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$712.44
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).
29894 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
29894 vs 29897 vs 29898 vs 29891: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 29897Ankle arthroscopy
- 29894 is for arthroscopic extraction of a loose or foreign body. 29897 describes limited ankle-joint debridement.
- 29898Ankle arthroscopy
- Choose 29898 for extensive ankle-joint debridement; choose 29894 when the operative service is removal of a loose or foreign body.
- 29891Ankle arthroscopy
- 29891 treats an osteochondral defect with excision and drilling. 29894 removes a loose body or foreign material rather than treating the defect itself.
29894 billing questions
When should 29894 be selected instead of ankle debridement?
Use 29894 when the arthroscopic work removes a loose body or foreign material. Debridement codes describe removal of tissue or other debridement work, not simply extraction of a loose object.
Does 29894 include the arthroscopic approach?
Yes. The code represents arthroscopic removal, including the scope-based work needed to locate and extract the loose or foreign body.
What documentation supports 29894?
Document the ankle joint treated, the presence and location of the loose or foreign body, and its arthroscopic removal. An operative description should distinguish the removed body from debridement or treatment of an osteochondral lesion.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period. The code is subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction when other procedures are performed in the same session.
Can 29894 be reported bilaterally?
CMS lists bilateral reporting with modifier 50, paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation.
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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