Billing code 29863: Hip arthroscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Oklahoma
Report this service when a surgeon uses hip arthroscopy to remove abnormal synovial tissue, such as tissue associated with hip synovitis.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29863 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 29863 covers
An orthopedic surgeon performs this procedure through small hip portals, using an arthroscope and instruments to remove abnormal synovial tissue from the joint. It is used when synovial inflammation or overgrowth is treated surgically, including in hospital or ambulatory surgery center settings. The operative report should identify the synovial tissue treated and describe the arthroscopic work performed; a diagnosis of synovitis alone does not establish that synovectomy was done.
Choose this code for the synovectomy service, rather than diagnostic inspection alone, loose-body removal, or debridement of cartilage or other tissue. When related endoscopies are performed together, CMS applies endoscopy-family pricing. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For bilateral procedures reported with modifier 50, CMS pays at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; co-surgeons are paid only with 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.
29863 in Oklahoma
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | Unavailable | $706.88 |
How the 29863 rate is calculated
Each of 29863’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 · 29863
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 10.89Practice expense 9.66Malpractice 2.12
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29863
29863 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29863
Hip 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 · 29863
Hip 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
29863 without 50 · national facility
$757.20
Hip arthroscopy
29863-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,135.80
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).
29863 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
29863 vs 29860 vs 29862 vs 29876: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 29860Hip arthroscopy
- 29860 is for diagnostic hip arthroscopy. Choose 29863 when the surgeon performs arthroscopic removal of abnormal synovial tissue.
- 29862Hip arthroscopy
- 29862 describes hip arthroscopic debridement or shaving, including work on cartilage or a labral tear; 29863 is for synovectomy.
- 29876Knee synovectomy
- 29876 describes major synovectomy performed arthroscopically in the knee. Code 29863 is for synovectomy in the hip.
29863 billing questions
How is this different from hip arthroscopy code 29862?
Use 29863 for removal of abnormal synovial tissue. Code 29862 describes hip arthroscopic debridement or shaving, such as work on articular cartilage or a labral tear.
When should 29861 be selected instead?
Code 29861 is for arthroscopic removal of a loose or foreign body from the hip. It does not describe synovectomy.
Can diagnostic hip arthroscopy be reported separately?
Code 29860 describes diagnostic hip arthroscopy. When the operative service is synovectomy, select the code for the surgical work performed rather than reporting diagnostic inspection as the service.
How is a bilateral procedure paid?
CMS pays a bilateral procedure reported with modifier 50 at 150%.
What should the operative report support?
Document the abnormal synovial tissue treated and the arthroscopic removal performed. For co-surgeons, CMS requires supporting documentation; assistant-at-surgery services may be paid.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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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