Billing code 29885: Knee arthroscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Guam
Arthroscopic drilling of an intact knee osteochondritis dissecans lesion is reported to stimulate healing when the fragment remains stable and is not internally fixed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29885 in Guam.
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 29885 covers
An orthopedic surgeon uses a knee arthroscope and instruments passed through small portals to drill an intact osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesion. The perforations encourage blood flow and healing in the affected osteochondral area while leaving the stable fragment in place. This procedure is performed in an operating room, typically in a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center.
Report 29885 when the operative documentation supports drilling of an intact OCD lesion without internal fixation. Distinguish it from codes for drilling an OCD lesion that is not specified as intact or for drilling with fixation. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy family pricing applies. For bilateral procedures, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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.
29885 in Hawaii, Guam
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii, Guam | Unavailable | $725.00 |
How the 29885 rate is calculated
Each of 29885’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 · 29885
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 9.95Practice expense 9.26Malpractice 2.12
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29885
29885 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29885
Knee 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 | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| 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 · 29885
Knee 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
29885 without 50 · national facility
$712.44
Knee arthroscopy
29885-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,068.66
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).
29885 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
29885 vs 29886 vs 29887 vs 29879: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 29886Knee arthroscopy
- 29885 identifies drilling of an intact OCD lesion. 29886 is used for OCD lesion drilling when the lesion is not specified as intact.
- 29887OCD lesion fixation
- 29885 describes drilling without internal fixation; 29887 is the related code for drilling with internal fixation.
- 29879Arthroscopic cartilage procedure
- 29879 describes arthroscopic abrasion arthroplasty, a different cartilage procedure. It does not identify drilling of an intact OCD lesion.
29885 billing questions
When should 29885 be selected instead of 29886?
Use 29885 when the surgeon documents drilling of an intact OCD lesion. Code 29886 is the related drilling code for an OCD lesion not specified as intact.
How does 29885 differ from 29887?
29885 describes drilling an intact lesion without internal fixation. Use 29887 when drilling is performed with internal fixation.
What documentation supports 29885?
The operative report should identify the OCD lesion as intact and describe arthroscopic drilling. Documenting whether the lesion was fixed helps distinguish this service from related codes.
How are bilateral procedures and surgical assistance handled?
CMS pays bilateral procedures reported with modifier 50 at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires 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 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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