No office rate
Use 29873 for an arthroscopic lateral release and 27425 when the release is performed through an open approach.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
29873 Knee arthroscopy Medicare reimbursement rates in Massachusetts
Arthroscopic lateral release treats patellar maltracking or lateral compression by dividing tight lateral retinacular tissue during knee surgery. Compare 29873 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Massachusetts.
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 29873 in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$530.38–$578.27
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
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 29873: Arthroscopic lateral patellar release
Arthroscopic lateral release treats patellar maltracking or lateral compression by dividing tight lateral retinacular tissue during knee surgery.
This procedure uses a knee arthroscope and instruments to release tight tissue along the outer side of the patella, reducing lateral restraint when patellar tracking or tilt is the surgical problem. Orthopedic surgeons perform it in an operating room, commonly for symptomatic patellar maltracking or lateral compression. The operative report should identify the lateral retinacular release rather than only diagnostic inspection or work on cartilage, synovium, or meniscus.
Report the arthroscopic release actually performed, supported by the indication, laterality, arthroscopic findings, and operative description. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. If related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy-family pricing applies. For bilateral reporting, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 29873
- 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
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU6.08 · 39%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.26 · 53%
- Malpractice RVU1.26 · 8%
1.5K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2648 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.
29873 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Massachusetts, from the same CMS release.
$619.78–$683.53
29870 describes diagnostic knee arthroscopy. Use 29873 when the surgeon performs a therapeutic lateral retinacular release.
No office rate
29875 addresses limited synovial tissue removal; 29873 addresses release of lateral retinacular tissue to treat patellar restraint or tracking.
No office rate
29877 describes arthroscopic cartilage debridement or shaving. It does not represent a lateral retinacular release.
Compare 29873 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Metropolitan Boston →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$578.27
Rest Of Massachusetts →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$530.38
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29873 billing questions
How does this differ from an open lateral release?
This code describes release performed arthroscopically. CPT 27425 is the open approach to lateral retinacular release.
Can it be reported with a meniscectomy or chondroplasty?
It may be reported with separately performed arthroscopic work when the operative report supports each service. CMS applies endoscopy-family pricing when related endoscopies are performed together.
What does the 90-day global period include?
The global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is bilateral surgery reported?
For a bilateral procedure, modifier 50 is paid at 150% under the CMS rule for this code.
May an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons are paid only with 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.
3,35229868,,Meniscal trnspl knee w/scpe,A,,24.47,15.62,NA,15.62,,5.19,45.28,45.28,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,35329870,,Arthrs knee dx w/wo syn bx,A,,5.06,11.96,,5.88,,1.03,18.05,11.97,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,35429871,,Arthrs knee surg for infctj,A,,6.52,6.84,NA,6.84,,1.35,14.71,14.71,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,1,0,0,9,29870,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,35529873,,Arthrs knee surg w/lat rls,A,,6.08,8.26,NA,8.26,,1.26,15.60,15.60,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,1,1,0,9,29870,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,35629874,,Arthrs knee surg rmv loos/fb,A,,7.01,6.72,NA,6.72,,1.42,15.15,15.15,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,0,0,0,9,29870,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,35729875,,Arthrs knee surg synvct lmtd,A,,6.29,6.60,NA,6.60,,1.31,14.20,14.20,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,0,0,0,9,29870,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,35829876,,Arthrs knee surg synvct maj,A,,8.65,7.99,NA,7.99,,1.77,18.41,18.41,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,1,0,0,9,29870,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00