Billing code 29845: Wrist arthroscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Oklahoma
Reports arthroscopic removal of part of the wrist synovium when diseased or inflamed tissue requires surgical treatment.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29845 in Oklahoma.
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 29845 covers
An orthopedic or hand surgeon uses a wrist arthroscope and instruments to remove a portion of abnormal synovial tissue lining the joint. The procedure may be performed for persistent wrist synovitis, including proliferative tissue associated with inflammatory disease. It is generally done in an operating room, such as a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center. The operative report should identify the treated wrist, the synovial abnormality, and the tissue removed.
Select this code when the surgeon performs a partial arthroscopic synovectomy; a complete synovectomy is represented by a different wrist arthroscopy code. Document the extent of tissue removal and any distinct procedures performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy family pricing applies. For bilateral reporting, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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.
29845 in Oklahoma
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | Unavailable | $509.45 |
How the 29845 rate is calculated
Each of 29845’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 · 29845
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work7.50
7.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.42
7.42 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.45
1.45 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
16.3700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$546.77
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29845
29845 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29845
Wrist 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 | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 29845
Wrist 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
29845 without 50 · national facility
$546.77
Wrist arthroscopy
29845-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$820.16
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).
29845 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 29844Wrist arthroscopy
- Choose 29845 when the synovectomy is partial. Code 29844 represents complete removal of wrist synovium.
- 29843Wrist arthroscopy
- 29843 is for arthroscopic lavage and drainage in an infected wrist. It is not the code for partial synovial tissue removal.
- 29846Wrist arthroscopy
- 29846 addresses triangular fibrocartilage treatment or wrist joint debridement; use 29845 when the documented work is partial synovectomy.
- 29840Wrist arthroscopy
- 29840 describes diagnostic wrist arthroscopy. Use 29845 when the surgeon performs partial synovial tissue removal.
29845 billing questions
How does this differ from code 29844?
This code represents partial removal of wrist synovium. Code 29844 is used when the surgeon performs a complete synovectomy.
When would code 29843 be more appropriate?
Code 29843 describes wrist arthroscopy for lavage and drainage in an infection setting. Use this code for partial synovial tissue removal instead.
What documentation supports partial synovectomy?
Document the synovial disease or abnormality, the wrist treated, and the arthroscopic work showing that only part of the synovium was removed.
How is bilateral wrist surgery reported?
CMS pays bilateral reporting with modifier 50 at 150%. The operative documentation should support treatment of both wrists.
What payment rules apply when other endoscopies are performed in the same session?
CMS applies endoscopy family pricing when related endoscopies are performed together. The code also has a 90-day global period; related postoperative care is included.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and 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 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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