No office rate
Choose 29843 for partial arthroscopic synovectomy; 29844 represents complete synovectomy.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
29843 Wrist arthroscopy Medicare reimbursement rates in Rhode Island
Reports arthroscopic removal of part of the wrist’s inflamed synovial lining when operative treatment of synovitis is needed. Compare 29843 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Rhode Island.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 29843 in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$476.28
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Rhode Island
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Orthopedic surgery
About 29843: Arthroscopic partial wrist synovectomy
Reports arthroscopic removal of part of the wrist’s inflamed synovial lining when operative treatment of synovitis is needed.
An orthopedic or hand surgeon uses a small camera and instruments through wrist portals to remove a portion of abnormal synovial tissue. This approach may be used for persistent inflammatory or proliferative synovitis affecting the wrist joint, including synovitis associated with inflammatory arthritis. The service is generally performed in an operating room or ambulatory surgery center, with the operative note identifying the involved joint and the synovium removed.
Report this code for a partial arthroscopic synovectomy, not a complete synovectomy or diagnostic inspection alone. Documentation should support the synovitis, the arthroscopic technique, and the partial extent of tissue removal. The service has 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 procedures, 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.
CMS billing rules for 29843
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Endoscopy family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU6.00 · 43%
- Practice expense (office) RVU6.78 · 48%
- Malpractice RVU1.28 · 9%
28
Medicare services in 2024 · #5703 by national volume
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.
29843 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Rhode Island, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
29840 is diagnostic wrist arthroscopy. This code represents operative removal of part of the synovium.
No office rate
29845 is for arthroscopic lysis of wrist adhesions, with or without manipulation, rather than partial synovectomy.
No office rate
29846 addresses TFCC excision or repair and/or wrist joint debridement; this code is for partial synovectomy.
Compare 29843 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Rhode Island →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$476.28
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 29843 in Rhode Island.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,336
- Code
- 29843
- Physician work
- 6.00
- Practice expense
- 6.78
- Malpractice
- 1.28
GPCI2026.csv
92
- Locality
- Rhode Island
- Physician work
- 1.019
- Practice expense
- 1.033
- Malpractice
- 0.892
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 6.00 | × 1.019 | 6.1140 |
| Practice expense | 6.78 | × 1.033 | 7.0037 |
| Malpractice | 1.28 | × 0.892 | 1.1418 |
| Total RVUs | 14.2595 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Rhode Island$476.28
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 6 | 1.019 |
| Practice expense | 6.78 | 1.033 |
| Malpractice | 1.28 | 0.892 |
(6 × 1.019 + 6.78 × 1.033 + 1.28 × 0.892) × $33.4009 = $476.28
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
29843 billing questions
How is this code different from a complete wrist synovectomy?
This code is for arthroscopic removal of part of the synovium. Use 29844 when the operative service is a complete synovectomy.
Can diagnostic wrist arthroscopy be reported separately?
Diagnostic inspection is part of the operative arthroscopy when the surgeon proceeds with a synovectomy. Code 29840 describes diagnostic wrist arthroscopy when no operative arthroscopic service is performed.
What documentation supports partial synovectomy?
The operative report should identify wrist synovitis, describe the arthroscopic removal of synovial tissue, and make clear that the removal was partial rather than complete.
How is a bilateral procedure reported?
Report modifier 50 for the bilateral procedure; CMS pays it at 150%.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; 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 indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
3,33329837,,Elbow arthroscopy/surgery,A,,6.83,6.89,NA,6.89,,1.45,15.17,15.17,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29830,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33429838,,Elbow arthroscopy/surgery,A,,7.68,7.50,NA,7.50,,1.54,16.72,16.72,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,0,0,0,9,29830,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33529840,,Wrist arthroscopy,A,,5.54,6.48,NA,6.48,,1.19,13.21,13.21,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33629843,,Wrist arthroscopy/surgery,A,,6.00,6.78,NA,6.78,,1.28,14.06,14.06,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29840,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33729844,,Wrist arthroscopy/surgery,A,,6.35,6.50,NA,6.50,,1.25,14.10,14.10,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,0,0,9,29840,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33829845,,Wrist arthroscopy/surgery,A,,7.50,7.42,NA,7.42,,1.45,16.37,16.37,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29840,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,33929846,,Wrist arthroscopy/surgery,A,,6.72,6.60,NA,6.60,,1.29,14.61,14.61,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,0,0,0,9,29840,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8912502,PA,01,METROPOLITAN PHILADELPHIA,1.018,1.041,1.193
9012502,PA,99,REST OF PENNSYLVANIA,1.000,0.918,0.945
9109202,PR,20,PUERTO RICO,1.000,1.011,0.985
9214412,RI,01,RHODE ISLAND,1.019,1.033,0.892
9311202,SC,01,SOUTH CAROLINA,1.000,0.924,0.850
9403402,SD,02,SOUTH DAKOTA**,1.000,1.000,0.336
9510312,TN,35,TENNESSEE,1.000,0.909,0.537