No office rate
Choose 29835 for partial synovial removal and 29836 when the surgeon performs a complete synovectomy.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
29835 Elbow arthroscopy Medicare reimbursement rates in Kentucky
Reports arthroscopic removal of part of the elbow’s inflamed synovial lining when the surgeon treats synovitis without performing a complete synovectomy. Compare 29835 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Kentucky.
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 29835 in Kentucky?
Kentucky 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
$458.02
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Kentucky
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.
Orthopedic surgery
About 29835: Partial elbow synovectomy by arthroscopy
Reports arthroscopic removal of part of the elbow’s inflamed synovial lining when the surgeon treats synovitis without performing a complete synovectomy.
The surgeon uses an arthroscope and instruments through small portals to remove a portion of abnormal synovial tissue inside the elbow joint. This procedure may be performed by an orthopedic surgeon in a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center for conditions such as symptomatic elbow synovitis. The operative report should identify the treated joint and describe the synovial tissue removed and the partial extent of the synovectomy.
Report this code when arthroscopy includes partial synovectomy; a diagnostic inspection alone or removal of non-synovial tissue is a different service. Documentation should support the operative work and distinguish a partial from a complete synovectomy. 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 surgery, 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.
CMS billing rules for 29835
- 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
- Endoscopy family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU6.45 · 44%
- Practice expense (office) RVU6.77 · 46%
- Malpractice RVU1.36 · 9%
62
Medicare services in 2024 · #5219 by national volume
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.
29835 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Kentucky, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
29830 represents diagnostic elbow arthroscopy; 29835 requires therapeutic removal of part of the synovial lining.
No office rate
29837 is for limited elbow debridement, not partial synovectomy. Select based on the tissue treated and work documented.
No office rate
29838 describes extensive elbow debridement. It is not the code for partial removal of synovial tissue.
Compare 29835 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
Kentucky →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$458.02
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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 29835 in Kentucky.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,331
- Code
- 29835
- Physician work
- 6.45
- Practice expense
- 6.77
- Malpractice
- 1.36
GPCI2026.csv
55
- Locality
- Kentucky
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.889
- Malpractice
- 0.915
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 6.45 | × 1.000 | 6.4500 |
| Practice expense | 6.77 | × 0.889 | 6.0185 |
| Malpractice | 1.36 | × 0.915 | 1.2444 |
| Total RVUs | 13.7129 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Kentucky$458.02
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 6.45 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 6.77 | 0.889 |
| Malpractice | 1.36 | 0.915 |
(6.45 × 1 + 6.77 × 0.889 + 1.36 × 0.915) × $33.4009 = $458.02
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.
29835 billing questions
How does partial synovectomy differ from complete synovectomy?
This code describes removal of part of the elbow synovium. Use 29836 when the surgeon performs a complete synovectomy.
Does diagnostic elbow arthroscopy support this code?
No. This code requires arthroscopic partial removal of synovial tissue; diagnostic inspection alone is represented by 29830.
Can debridement be reported as partial synovectomy?
Not solely because tissue was removed. The operative report must support partial removal of synovium; elbow debridement is described by 29837 or 29838 according to its extent.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is bilateral elbow surgery handled under the CMS rule?
For bilateral surgery, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires 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 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.
3,32829828,,Sho arthrs srg bicp tenodsis,A,,12.83,9.85,NA,9.85,,2.58,25.26,25.26,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29805,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,32929830,,Elbow arthroscopy,A,,5.73,6.19,NA,6.19,,1.23,13.15,13.15,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33029834,,Elbow arthroscopy/surgery,A,,6.26,6.51,NA,6.51,,1.26,14.03,14.03,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29830,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33129835,,Elbow arthroscopy/surgery,A,,6.45,6.77,NA,6.77,,1.36,14.58,14.58,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29830,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33229836,,Elbow arthroscopy/surgery,A,,7.53,7.43,NA,7.43,,1.45,16.41,16.41,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29830,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33329837,,Elbow arthroscopy/surgery,A,,6.83,6.89,NA,6.89,,1.45,15.17,15.17,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29830,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33429838,,Elbow arthroscopy/surgery,A,,7.68,7.50,NA,7.50,,1.54,16.72,16.72,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,0,0,0,9,29830,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
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
5707202,LA,99,REST OF LOUISIANA,1.000,0.885,0.958
5814112,ME,03,SOUTHERN MAINE,1.000,0.991,0.631