No office rate
This code is for open meniscal repair. Code 29882 describes arthroscopic repair of one meniscus.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
27403 Meniscus repair Medicare reimbursement rates in Texas
Report open surgical repair of a torn knee meniscus when the surgeon exposes the joint through an arthrotomy and repairs the tissue. Compare 27403 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Texas.
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 27403 in Texas?
Texas has 8 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 8 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
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.
Where 27403 pays more and less in Texas
Orthopedic surgery
About 27403: Open knee meniscus repair
Report open surgical repair of a torn knee meniscus when the surgeon exposes the joint through an arthrotomy and repairs the tissue.
This code describes open repair of a torn meniscus, the crescent-shaped cartilage pad in the knee joint. An orthopedic surgeon exposes the joint through an arthrotomy and repairs the meniscal tissue, typically in an operating room. It is distinct from arthroscopic meniscus repair, which uses a scope and small portals rather than an open joint exposure.
Report the code when the operative record supports an open meniscal repair, including the tear treated and the repair performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For bilateral procedures reported with modifier 50, CMS pays at 150%. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 27403
- 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
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- 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 RVU8.40 · 46%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.12 · 44%
- Malpractice RVU1.76 · 10%
782
Medicare services in 2024 · #3174 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.
27403 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Texas, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
This code is for open meniscal repair. Code 29883 describes arthroscopic repair of both menisci.
No office rate
Use this code for open repair of meniscal tissue; 29881 describes arthroscopic removal of meniscal tissue rather than repair.
No office rate
This code repairs a knee meniscus. Code 27405 concerns repair of a knee ligament, a different structure.
Compare 27403 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.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Office Unavailable | Facility $620.16 |
| Beaumont | Office Unavailable | Facility $581.99 |
| Brazoria | Office Unavailable | Facility $597.44 |
| Dallas | Office Unavailable | Facility $603.66 |
| Fort Worth | Office Unavailable | Facility $601.71 |
| Galveston | Office Unavailable | Facility $600.80 |
| Houston | Office Unavailable | Facility $633.02 |
| Rest Of Texas | Office Unavailable | Facility $591.03 |
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27403 billing questions
When should this code be used instead of an arthroscopic meniscus repair code?
Use this code for an open meniscal repair performed through an arthrotomy. Arthroscopic repair is reported with 29882 for one meniscus or 29883 when both are repaired.
Can meniscectomy be reported instead when the meniscus is removed?
No. Meniscal resection rather than repair points to a meniscectomy code, such as 29881 for one meniscus or 29880 for both, when performed arthroscopically.
What documentation supports reporting open meniscus repair?
Document the affected knee, meniscus and tear, the open approach, and the repair performed. The operative report should distinguish repair from removal or arthroscopic treatment.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
How is bilateral repair handled under the CMS rules?
Report modifier 50 for a bilateral procedure; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
May an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only with 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 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.
2,87227396,,Transplant of thigh tendon,A,,7.95,7.98,NA,7.98,,1.69,17.62,17.62,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,87327397,,Transplants of thigh tendons,A,,12.34,10.68,NA,10.68,,2.62,25.64,25.64,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,87427400,,Revise thigh muscles/tendons,A,,9.10,8.69,NA,8.69,,1.94,19.73,19.73,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,87527403,,Repair of knee cartilage,A,,8.40,8.12,NA,8.12,,1.76,18.28,18.28,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,87627405,,Repair of knee ligament,A,,8.85,8.43,NA,8.43,,1.80,19.08,19.08,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,87727407,,Repair of knee ligament,A,,10.58,9.57,NA,9.57,,2.25,22.40,22.40,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,87827409,,Repair of knee ligaments,A,,13.37,10.61,NA,10.61,,2.85,26.83,26.83,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00