Billing code 29900: Joint arthroscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Oklahoma
Reports arthroscopic examination of a finger metacarpophalangeal joint, with or without synovial biopsy, when the service is diagnostic rather than therapeutic.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29900 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 29900 covers
This service is an arthroscopic examination of a finger metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint to evaluate the joint interior; synovial biopsy may also be performed. An orthopedic or hand surgeon typically performs it in an operating room when symptoms such as unexplained MCP pain, swelling, or stiffness warrant direct evaluation of the joint. The code is for diagnostic work, not a therapeutic arthroscopic procedure.
Report it when the operative record supports diagnostic arthroscopy of the MCP joint, including the specific joint examined, findings, and whether a synovial biopsy was taken. The biopsy is included in this code. If the surgeon performs a separately described therapeutic arthroscopic procedure in the same joint and session, report the applicable surgical code rather than separately reporting diagnostic arthroscopy. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others 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.
29900 in Oklahoma
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | Unavailable | $456.85 |
How the 29900 rate is calculated
Each of 29900’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 · 29900
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work5.73
5.73 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.83
7.83 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.23
1.23 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
14.7900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$494.00
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29900
29900 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29900
Joint 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 · 29900
Joint 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
29900 without 50 · national facility
$494.00
Joint arthroscopy
29900-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$741.00
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).
29900 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 29901MCP arthroscopy
- 29900 describes diagnostic MCP arthroscopy, with or without synovial biopsy. Choose 29901 when the operative service is the surgical intervention described by that code.
- 29902MCP arthroscopy
- 29900 is for diagnostic MCP arthroscopy. Choose 29902 when the operative report documents the surgical intervention described by that code, rather than diagnostic examination alone.
- 29999Unlisted px arthroscopy
- 29999 is for arthroscopic work without a specific listed code. Use 29900 when the service is diagnostic arthroscopy of the MCP joint, with or without synovial biopsy.
29900 billing questions
When should this code be chosen instead of 29901 or 29902?
Use 29900 for diagnostic MCP arthroscopy, with or without synovial biopsy. Codes 29901 and 29902 describe surgical MCP arthroscopy when the documented service meets the intervention in the applicable code.
Can synovial biopsy be billed separately?
No. Synovial biopsy is included when performed as part of this diagnostic MCP arthroscopy.
Can diagnostic arthroscopy be reported with a surgical procedure on the same MCP joint?
When therapeutic arthroscopic work is performed in the same joint and session, report the applicable surgical arthroscopy code rather than separately reporting the diagnostic examination.
How is bilateral MCP arthroscopy reported under the CMS facts?
For a bilateral procedure, modifier 50 is associated with payment at 150%. The operative documentation should identify the MCP joints examined.
What global and assistant-at-surgery rules apply?
The code has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity.
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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