No office rate
29891 treats the defect by excision and drilling. Choose 29892 when the surgeon arthroscopically repairs the osteochondral lesion.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
29891 Ankle arthroscopy Medicare reimbursement rates in Massachusetts
Reports arthroscopic removal and drilling of an osteochondral defect in the ankle when the surgeon treats a focal lesion of the talus or tibia. Compare 29891 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 29891 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
$642.47–$692.80
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.
Ankle arthroscopy
About 29891: Arthroscopic ankle osteochondral lesion excision
Reports arthroscopic removal and drilling of an osteochondral defect in the ankle when the surgeon treats a focal lesion of the talus or tibia.
An orthopedic surgeon typically performs this ankle arthroscopy for a focal osteochondral defect, such as a lesion on the talar dome or tibial plafond. The surgeon removes unstable or damaged tissue at the defect and drills the underlying bone to stimulate healing. The procedure is commonly performed in a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center.
Report 29891 when the operative work addresses the osteochondral defect by excision and drilling, rather than repair or fixation of a lesion. The operative report should identify the site and describe the lesion treatment, including drilling. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 29891
- 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 may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU9.43 · 50%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.98 · 42%
- Malpractice RVU1.57 · 8%
1.2K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2837 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.
29891 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Massachusetts, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
29894 is for arthroscopic removal of a loose body. It does not describe excision and drilling of an osteochondral defect.
No office rate
29897 describes limited ankle arthroscopic debridement. Use 29891 when the operative work specifically excises and drills an osteochondral defect.
No office rate
29898 describes extensive ankle arthroscopic debridement; 29891 is selected for excision and drilling of an osteochondral defect.
Compare 29891 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
$692.80
Rest Of Massachusetts →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$642.47
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29891 billing questions
When is 29891 preferred over 29892?
Use 29891 for arthroscopic excision and drilling of the defect. Code 29892 is for arthroscopically aided repair of an osteochondral lesion, such as when the surgeon repairs or fixes the lesion.
Are lesion preparation and drilling separately billable?
No. Removing the defect tissue and drilling the underlying bone are part of 29891, not separate services. Separately performed work on another condition must be distinct and supported by the operative report.
What documentation supports 29891?
Document the ankle, the lesion's location on the talus or tibia, arthroscopic findings, and the excision and drilling performed.
How is bilateral 29891 reported?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; reporting modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
What global period applies?
The major-surgery 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. CMS does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery for this code.
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.
3,36829887,,Arthrs knee srg drlg od fixj,A,,9.91,9.25,NA,9.25,,2.11,21.27,21.27,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29870,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,36929888,,Arthrs aid acl rpr/agmntj,A,,13.94,9.95,NA,9.95,,2.74,26.63,26.63,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,37029889,,Arthrs aid pcl rpr/agmntj,A,,16.97,13.32,NA,13.32,,3.61,33.90,33.90,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,37129891,,Arthr ank ostchn df tal&/tib,A,,9.43,7.98,NA,7.98,,1.57,18.98,18.98,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,37229892,,Arthrs aid rpr od les/tib fx,A,,10.01,6.62,NA,6.62,,1.26,17.89,17.89,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,37329893,,Endoscopic plantr fasciotomy,A,,6.16,13.20,,5.79,,0.56,19.92,12.51,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,37429894,,Ankle arthroscopy/surgery,A,,7.17,5.85,NA,5.85,,1.20,14.22,14.22,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00