Billing code 29904: Subtalar arthroscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Arthroscopic subtalar-joint removal of a loose body or foreign material is reported when a surgeon retrieves it through the scope during operative treatment.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29904 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 29904 covers
An orthopedic surgeon, often specializing in foot and ankle surgery, uses an arthroscope and instruments to locate and remove a loose body or foreign material from the subtalar joint. The procedure is generally performed in an operating room, commonly in a facility setting. A patient may undergo it when an intra-articular fragment causes symptoms such as catching or restricted motion, but the operative report must support removal from the subtalar joint.
Report this code when the arthroscopic work includes removal of the material, rather than excision of tissue, debridement, or subtalar fusion. Documentation should identify the joint, the material removed, and the arthroscopic procedure performed. CMS 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 services may be paid; 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.
Where 29904 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 | $653.65 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $703.83 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $620.63 |
How the 29904 rate is calculated
Each of 29904’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 · 29904
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 8.43Practice expense 7.82Malpractice 1.78
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29904
29904 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29904
Subtalar 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) | 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 · 29904
Subtalar 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
29904 without 50 · national facility
$602.22
Subtalar arthroscopy
29904-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$903.33
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).
29904 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
29904 vs 29905 vs 29906 vs 29907 vs 29894: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 29905Subtalar arthroscopy
- 29904 is for arthroscopic removal of a loose body or foreign material from the subtalar joint; 29905 is for subtalar arthroscopic excision.
- 29906Subtalar arthroscopy
- 29904 reports removal of a loose body or foreign material. Choose 29906 when the documented subtalar arthroscopic work is debridement.
- 29907Subtalar fusion
- 29904 reports removal of material from the subtalar joint. 29907 is the subtalar arthroscopy code for fusion.
- 29894Ankle arthroscopy
- Both involve arthroscopic removal of loose material, but 29894 is for the ankle joint; 29904 is for the subtalar joint.
29904 billing questions
How does this code differ from subtalar debridement?
Use 29904 when the arthroscopic work removes a loose body or foreign material. Subtalar debridement is reported with 29906 when the work is debridement rather than removal of that material.
How is removal distinguished from excision?
29904 describes arthroscopic removal of a loose body or foreign material from the subtalar joint. Code 29905 represents subtalar arthroscopic excision; select based on the work documented.
What documentation supports 29904?
The operative report should establish that the procedure involved the subtalar joint and describe the loose body or foreign material removed and the arthroscopic work performed.
Can this be reported for both feet?
CMS identifies bilateral reporting with modifier 50 and payment at 150%. The record should support the procedure on each side.
Can an assistant surgeon be paid for this procedure?
CMS permits payment for an assistant at surgery for 29904. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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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