No office rate
Use 29875 for a limited synovectomy in one compartment; use 29876 when the major synovectomy involves at least two compartments.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
29876 Knee synovectomy Medicare reimbursement rates in Massachusetts
Report this service when a surgeon removes diseased synovial tissue arthroscopically from at least two compartments of the knee. Compare 29876 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 29876 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
$621.68–$672.03
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 29876: Arthroscopic major knee synovectomy
Report this service when a surgeon removes diseased synovial tissue arthroscopically from at least two compartments of the knee.
An orthopedic surgeon uses a knee arthroscope and instruments to remove abnormal or inflamed synovial tissue from two or more compartments. This may be performed for substantial synovitis affecting multiple areas of the joint. The procedure is typically done in a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center; the operative report should identify the treated compartments and describe the synovectomy performed in each.
Choose this code for a major synovectomy involving multiple compartments, rather than a limited synovectomy confined to one compartment. Document the clinical indication, the extent and location of the synovial disease, and any other arthroscopic work. The service has 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. Modifier 50 is used for a bilateral procedure, paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay for an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 29876
- 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 not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU8.65 · 47%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.99 · 43%
- Malpractice RVU1.77 · 10%
7.2K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1644 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.
29876 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Massachusetts, from the same CMS release.
$619.78–$683.53
29870 describes diagnostic knee arthroscopy, with or without synovial biopsy. This code represents therapeutic removal of synovial tissue from multiple compartments.
No office rate
29877 addresses arthroscopic debridement or shaving of knee joint structures, not a major synovectomy of multiple compartments.
No office rate
29880 describes meniscectomy involving both the medial and lateral menisci. It may be reported with this code when the synovectomy is performed in a separate compartment.
Compare 29876 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
$672.03
Rest Of Massachusetts →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$621.68
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29876 billing questions
How do I distinguish this from 29875?
This code describes a major synovectomy involving at least two knee compartments. Code 29875 is for a limited synovectomy in one compartment.
What documentation supports reporting the major synovectomy?
The operative report should describe the synovial disease, identify the compartments treated, and explain the work performed in those compartments.
Can this be reported with a meniscectomy?
A meniscectomy may be reported with it when the synovectomy is performed in a compartment separate from the meniscectomy. The operative report should make the separate locations and work clear.
What is the Medicare global period?
The service has a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is a bilateral procedure reported?
Use modifier 50 for a bilateral procedure; CMS pays it at 150%.
Is an assistant surgeon paid for this procedure?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are also 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.
3,35529873,,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
3,35929877,,Arthrs knee surg dbrdmt/shvg,A,,8.09,7.82,NA,7.82,,1.66,17.57,17.57,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,0,0,0,9,29870,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,36029879,,Arthrs kne srg abrasj arthrp,A,,8.77,8.07,NA,8.07,,1.82,18.66,18.66,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,0,0,0,9,29870,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,36129880,,Arthrs kne srg mnisectmy m&l,A,,7.21,7.28,NA,7.28,,1.47,15.96,15.96,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,0,1,0,9,29870,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00