Billing code 29897: Ankle arthroscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports arthroscopic, limited removal of diseased or obstructive tissue within the ankle joint, such as for localized impingement or synovial and scar tissue.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29897 in Oregon.
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 29897 covers
An orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon performs this procedure through small portals, using a camera and instruments to inspect and treat the ankle joint. The work is a limited debridement of tissue such as localized synovial or scar tissue, or unstable tissue contributing to impingement. It is typically performed in a surgical facility for a symptomatic ankle problem that warrants operative treatment; routine inspection during another arthroscopic procedure is not itself the service described by this code.
Choose this code when the operative report supports limited debridement, rather than a more extensive debridement or a separately defined procedure such as loose-body removal or partial synovectomy. Documentation should identify the treated tissue and location, the therapeutic work performed, and its extent. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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 29897 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $479.67 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $452.68 |
How the 29897 rate is calculated
Each of 29897’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 · 29897
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 7.14Practice expense 5.62Malpractice 1.16
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29897
29897 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29897
Ankle 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| 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 · 29897
Ankle 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
29897 without 50 · national facility
$464.94
Ankle arthroscopy
29897-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$697.41
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).
29897 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
29897 vs 29898 vs 29895 vs 29894: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 29898Ankle arthroscopy
- Both describe ankle arthroscopic debridement, but 29898 is for extensive work; 29897 is for limited work. Base the choice on the operative findings and documented extent.
- 29895Ankle arthroscopy
- 29895 identifies partial synovectomy. Use 29897 when the documented service is limited debridement rather than a partial synovectomy.
- 29894Ankle arthroscopy
- 29894 identifies arthroscopic removal of a loose body or foreign body. 29897 describes limited debridement, not removal as the defining service.
29897 billing questions
How is limited debridement distinguished from extensive debridement?
Use 29897 for limited ankle-joint debridement and 29898 when the documented debridement is extensive. The operative report should describe the treated tissue and scope of work.
Does removing a loose body support this code?
Loose-body or foreign-body removal is a distinct arthroscopic service, represented by 29894. Document the actual procedure performed rather than treating removal as limited debridement.
Is routine tissue cleanup during another ankle arthroscopy separately reportable?
Routine work integral to the principal arthroscopic procedure does not by itself establish a separate limited debridement service. The record should identify distinct therapeutic debridement and its extent.
What documentation supports 29897?
Record the ankle-joint tissue treated, the reason for debridement, the arthroscopic work performed, and why its extent was limited rather than extensive.
How does the bilateral rule affect reporting?
CMS pays bilateral reporting with modifier 50 at 150%. The code also has a 90-day global period, and same-session multiple procedures are subject to the standard reduction.
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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