No office rate
This code represents complete synovectomy; 29820 represents partial synovectomy. Base the choice on the documented extent of synovial removal.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
29821 Shoulder arthroscopy Medicare reimbursement rates in Texas
Reports arthroscopic removal of synovial tissue throughout the shoulder joint when disease requires a complete rather than partial synovectomy. Compare 29821 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 29821 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 29821 pays more and less in Texas
Orthopedic surgery
About 29821: Arthroscopic complete shoulder synovectomy
Reports arthroscopic removal of synovial tissue throughout the shoulder joint when disease requires a complete rather than partial synovectomy.
An orthopedic surgeon performs this procedure through small shoulder incisions using an arthroscope and instruments to remove diseased synovial tissue throughout the operative joint. It may be used for substantial synovial inflammation, including in a shoulder affected by inflammatory arthritis. The work is therapeutic, not merely inspection or biopsy, and is commonly performed in a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center.
Choose this code when the documented arthroscopic synovectomy is complete; limited removal belongs to the partial-synovectomy level. The operative report should describe the affected synovium, the extent of excision, and the therapeutic work performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy-family pricing applies. For bilateral procedures, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 29821
- 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 RVU7.69 · 46%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.46 · 45%
- Malpractice RVU1.54 · 9%
726
Medicare services in 2024 · #3229 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.
29821 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Texas, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
29805 is diagnostic shoulder arthroscopy, with or without synovial biopsy. This code describes therapeutic complete synovectomy.
No office rate
29822 describes limited arthroscopic debridement, not complete synovial excision. Report the procedure that matches the documented tissue work.
No office rate
29823 describes extensive arthroscopic debridement. It is distinct from complete synovectomy, which targets removal of synovial tissue.
Compare 29821 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 $566.56 |
| Beaumont | Office Unavailable | Facility $531.38 |
| Brazoria | Office Unavailable | Facility $545.96 |
| Dallas | Office Unavailable | Facility $551.47 |
| Fort Worth | Office Unavailable | Facility $549.65 |
| Galveston | Office Unavailable | Facility $548.92 |
| Houston | Office Unavailable | Facility $577.11 |
| Rest Of Texas | Office Unavailable | Facility $539.76 |
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29821 billing questions
How do I distinguish this from 29820?
Use 29821 for a complete shoulder synovectomy and 29820 when the documented synovectomy is partial. The operative report should establish the extent of synovial tissue removal.
Can diagnostic arthroscopy be reported separately?
The therapeutic synovectomy is the service represented here. A diagnostic inspection performed as part of that operative work should not be treated as a separate diagnostic procedure.
What documentation supports complete synovectomy?
Document the synovial disease, the shoulder joint treated, and the extent of synovial removal. The record should support complete rather than limited or partial excision.
How is bilateral surgery reported?
For procedures on both shoulders, report modifier 50; CMS pays bilateral procedures 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 reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. 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.
3,31829807,,Sho arthrs srg rpr slap les,A,,14.30,11.27,NA,11.27,,2.93,28.50,28.50,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,1,1,0,9,29805,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,31929819,,Sho arthrs srg rmvl loose/fb,A,,7.60,7.37,NA,7.37,,1.50,16.47,16.47,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,1,1,0,9,29805,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,32029820,,Sho arthrs srg prtl synvct,A,,7.03,6.64,NA,6.64,,1.35,15.02,15.02,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29805,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,32129821,,Sho arthrs srg compl synvct,A,,7.69,7.46,NA,7.46,,1.54,16.69,16.69,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29805,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,32229822,,Sho arthrs srg lmtd dbrdmt,A,,6.85,7.19,NA,7.19,,1.41,15.45,15.45,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,0,0,9,29805,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,32329823,,Sho arthrs srg xtnsv dbrdmt,A,,7.78,7.39,NA,7.39,,1.56,16.73,16.73,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29805,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,32429824,,Sho arthrs srg dstl claviclc,A,,8.76,8.61,NA,8.61,,1.76,19.13,19.13,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,1,0,9,29805,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00