Billing code 29895: Ankle arthroscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports arthroscopic removal of a limited amount of inflamed ankle-joint synovium when synovial disease is treated surgically rather than incidental tissue cleanup.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29895 in Texas.
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 29895 covers
An orthopedic foot-and-ankle surgeon uses an arthroscope and instruments through small portals to remove a limited amount of inflamed or thickened synovial tissue from the ankle joint. This may be performed for symptomatic synovitis in a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center. The operative report should identify the treated ankle and describe the synovial tissue removed and the extent of the resection.
Select this service when partial synovial removal is the operative work, rather than loose-body extraction or joint debridement. Document the clinical indication and distinguish synovectomy from incidental synovial cleanup during another procedure. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, 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 may be made; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 29895 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Unavailable | $440.00 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $416.05 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $426.61 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $430.26 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $429.01 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $428.53 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $446.66 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $421.75 |
How the 29895 rate is calculated
Each of 29895’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 · 29895
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 6.95Practice expense 5.04Malpractice 0.99
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29895
29895 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29895
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) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 29895
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
29895 without 50 · national facility
$433.54
Ankle arthroscopy
29895-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$650.31
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).
29895 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
29895 vs 29897 vs 29898 vs 29894: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 29897Ankle arthroscopy
- 29897 describes limited ankle-joint debridement. This code is for partial removal of diseased synovium, not general joint cleanup.
- 29898Ankle arthroscopy
- 29898 is for extensive ankle debridement. Use this code when the documented primary work is partial synovectomy rather than extensive debridement.
- 29894Ankle arthroscopy
- 29894 is for arthroscopic removal of a loose body or foreign body. It does not describe excision of inflamed synovium.
29895 billing questions
How does partial synovectomy differ from major ankle synovectomy?
This code describes removal of a limited amount of ankle-joint synovium. The major synovectomy code is for more extensive work involving two or more compartments.
When should ankle debridement be coded instead?
Use an ankle debridement code when the documented work is removal of pathologic tissue or debris for joint cleanup, rather than partial excision of diseased synovium.
Can this be reported with loose-body removal?
A separately performed loose-body removal may be documented as distinct work, but do not separately report overlapping or incidental work. Check applicable coding edits for the code pair.
What documentation supports this code?
The operative report should establish ankle-joint synovitis, identify the side, and describe the location and limited extent of synovial tissue excision.
How is bilateral ankle surgery reported?
For bilateral procedures, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
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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