Billing code 29902: MCP arthroscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Arthroscopic removal of a loose or foreign body from a metacarpophalangeal joint, reported when the surgeon performs therapeutic MCP arthroscopy.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29902 in Massachusetts.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
On this page 9 sections
What 29902 covers
A hand surgeon uses an arthroscope and instruments through small portals to remove a loose body or foreign body from a metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint—the knuckle joint between a finger and the hand. The procedure may be performed in a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center when a joint body is being treated arthroscopically, such as after an injury or with joint disease. The operative service is therapeutic, not a diagnostic-only inspection.
Choose this code when the operative report supports arthroscopic removal of a loose or foreign body from the MCP joint; document the joint, the body treated, and the arthroscopic work performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including 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 requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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.
Where 29902 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston | Unavailable | $608.93 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Unavailable | $560.45 |
How the 29902 rate is calculated
Each of 29902’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 29902
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work6.98
6.98 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.08
8.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.48
1.48 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
16.5400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$552.45
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29902
29902 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29902
MCP arthroscopy
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 29902
MCP arthroscopy
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
29902 without 50 · national facility
$552.45
MCP arthroscopy
29902-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$828.68
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
29902 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 29900Joint arthroscopy
- Use 29900 for diagnostic MCP arthroscopy, with or without synovial biopsy. Use 29902 when the surgeon performs arthroscopic removal of a loose or foreign body.
- 29901MCP arthroscopy
- 29901 describes MCP arthroscopy with synovectomy. 29902 describes arthroscopic removal of a loose or foreign body from the MCP joint.
- 29999Unlisted px arthroscopy
- 29999 is an unlisted arthroscopy code for a procedure without a specific code. Use 29902 when the documented MCP service is arthroscopic loose- or foreign-body removal.
29902 billing questions
How does this differ from 29901?
29902 is for arthroscopic removal of a loose or foreign body from an MCP joint. 29901 describes MCP arthroscopy with synovectomy.
Can 29900 be reported for the diagnostic inspection?
29900 describes diagnostic MCP arthroscopy. Diagnostic inspection is part of the therapeutic arthroscopy when 29902 is performed, rather than a separate diagnostic service for the same procedure.
What should the operative note document?
Identify the MCP joint, the loose or foreign body addressed, and the arthroscopic removal performed. The documentation should support therapeutic work rather than diagnostic inspection alone.
How is bilateral MCP arthroscopy reported?
CMS lists bilateral reporting with modifier 50, paid at 150%. The operative documentation should support treatment of both sides.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
When is assistant-at-surgery payment allowed?
CMS allows assistant-at-surgery payment only when medical necessity is documented. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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