No office rate
29900 describes diagnostic MCP arthroscopy, with or without synovial biopsy. Choose 29901 when the operative service is the surgical intervention described by that code.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
29900 Joint arthroscopy Medicare reimbursement rates in Iowa
Reports arthroscopic examination of a finger metacarpophalangeal joint, with or without synovial biopsy, when the service is diagnostic rather than therapeutic. Compare 29900 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Iowa.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 29900 in Iowa?
Iowa has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$447.00
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Iowa
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Hand surgery
About 29900: Diagnostic finger MCP joint arthroscopy
Reports arthroscopic examination of a finger metacarpophalangeal joint, with or without synovial biopsy, when the service is diagnostic rather than therapeutic.
This service is an arthroscopic examination of a finger metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint to evaluate the joint interior; synovial biopsy may also be performed. An orthopedic or hand surgeon typically performs it in an operating room when symptoms such as unexplained MCP pain, swelling, or stiffness warrant direct evaluation of the joint. The code is for diagnostic work, not a therapeutic arthroscopic procedure.
Report it when the operative record supports diagnostic arthroscopy of the MCP joint, including the specific joint examined, findings, and whether a synovial biopsy was taken. The biopsy is included in this code. If the surgeon performs a separately described therapeutic arthroscopic procedure in the same joint and session, report the applicable surgical code rather than separately reporting diagnostic arthroscopy. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others 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.
CMS billing rules for 29900
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU5.73 · 39%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.83 · 53%
- Malpractice RVU1.23 · 8%
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.
29900 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Iowa, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
29900 is for diagnostic MCP arthroscopy. Choose 29902 when the operative report documents the surgical intervention described by that code, rather than diagnostic examination alone.
29999
No office rateUnlisted px arthroscopy
29999 is for arthroscopic work without a specific listed code. Use 29900 when the service is diagnostic arthroscopy of the MCP joint, with or without synovial biopsy.
Compare 29900 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Iowa →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$447.00
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 29900 in Iowa.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,379
- Code
- 29900
- Physician work
- 5.73
- Practice expense
- 7.83
- Malpractice
- 1.23
GPCI2026.csv
53
- Locality
- Iowa
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.915
- Malpractice
- 0.397
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 5.73 | × 1.000 | 5.7300 |
| Practice expense | 7.83 | × 0.915 | 7.1645 |
| Malpractice | 1.23 | × 0.397 | 0.4883 |
| Total RVUs | 13.3828 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Iowa$447.00
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 5.73 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 7.83 | 0.915 |
| Malpractice | 1.23 | 0.397 |
(5.73 × 1 + 7.83 × 0.915 + 1.23 × 0.397) × $33.4009 = $447.00
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
29900 billing questions
When should this code be chosen instead of 29901 or 29902?
Use 29900 for diagnostic MCP arthroscopy, with or without synovial biopsy. Codes 29901 and 29902 describe surgical MCP arthroscopy when the documented service meets the intervention in the applicable code.
Can synovial biopsy be billed separately?
No. Synovial biopsy is included when performed as part of this diagnostic MCP arthroscopy.
Can diagnostic arthroscopy be reported with a surgical procedure on the same MCP joint?
When therapeutic arthroscopic work is performed in the same joint and session, report the applicable surgical arthroscopy code rather than separately reporting the diagnostic examination.
How is bilateral MCP arthroscopy reported under the CMS facts?
For a bilateral procedure, modifier 50 is associated with payment at 150%. The operative documentation should identify the MCP joints examined.
What global and assistant-at-surgery rules apply?
The code has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
3,37629897,,Ankle arthroscopy/surgery,A,,7.14,5.62,NA,5.62,,1.16,13.92,13.92,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,37729898,,Ankle arthroscopy/surgery,A,,8.28,6.14,NA,6.14,,1.26,15.68,15.68,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,37829899,,Ankle arthroscopy/surgery,A,,15.02,9.86,NA,9.86,,2.70,27.58,27.58,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,37929900,,Mcp joint arthroscopy dx,A,,5.73,7.83,NA,7.83,,1.23,14.79,14.79,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,38029901,,Mcp joint arthroscopy surg,A,,6.43,7.90,NA,7.90,,1.35,15.68,15.68,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,38129902,,Mcp joint arthroscopy surg,A,,6.98,8.08,NA,8.08,,1.48,16.54,16.54,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,38229904,,Subtalar arthro w/fb rmvl,A,,8.43,7.82,NA,7.82,,1.78,18.03,18.03,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5006102,IL,15,SUBURBAN CHICAGO,1.007,1.027,1.772
5106102,IL,99,REST OF ILLINOIS,1.000,0.913,1.563
5208102,IN,00,INDIANA,1.000,0.927,0.486
5305102,IA,00,IOWA,1.000,0.915,0.397
5405202,KS,00,KANSAS,1.000,0.904,0.504
5515102,KY,00,KENTUCKY,1.000,0.889,0.915
5607202,LA,01,NEW ORLEANS,1.000,0.941,1.136