Billing code 29844: Wrist arthroscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Arthroscopic partial synovectomy removes a portion of abnormal wrist-joint synovial tissue when operative treatment of synovitis is indicated.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29844 in Utah.
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 29844 covers
The surgeon uses a small camera and instruments through wrist portals to remove part of the thickened or inflamed synovial lining inside the joint. This may be performed by an orthopedic or hand surgeon in a hospital or ambulatory surgery center for wrist synovitis requiring operative treatment. The work is a partial removal, rather than removal of the entire synovial lining or arthroscopic treatment directed at another wrist problem.
Report this code when the operative report supports arthroscopic removal of only part of the wrist-joint synovium. Documentation should identify the synovial abnormality, the arthroscopic approach, and the tissue removed; select a complete synovectomy code when the documented removal is complete. 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 reported with modifier 50, payment is 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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.
29844 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $453.67 |
How the 29844 rate is calculated
Each of 29844’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 · 29844
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 6.35Practice expense 6.50Malpractice 1.25
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29844
29844 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29844
Wrist 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 | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| 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 · 29844
Wrist 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
29844 without 50 · national facility
$470.95
Wrist arthroscopy
29844-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$706.43
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).
29844 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
29844 vs 29845 vs 29843 vs 29846: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 29845Wrist arthroscopy
- 29845 represents complete arthroscopic wrist synovectomy. Use 29844 when the surgeon removes only part of the synovial lining.
- 29843Wrist arthroscopy
- 29843 describes arthroscopic wrist lavage and drainage for infection, rather than partial synovial tissue removal.
- 29846Wrist arthroscopy
- 29846 addresses arthroscopic treatment involving triangular fibrocartilage or wrist-joint debridement. Choose 29844 when the documented work is partial synovectomy.
29844 billing questions
How does this differ from complete wrist synovectomy?
This code is for arthroscopic removal of part of the wrist-joint synovium. Use the complete synovectomy code when the operative report supports removal of the entire synovial lining.
Is lavage and drainage for wrist infection the same service?
No. Arthroscopic lavage and drainage for infection is a distinct wrist procedure; this code represents partial synovectomy.
What documentation supports partial synovectomy?
The operative report should describe abnormal synovium and arthroscopic removal of a portion of it. The documented extent helps distinguish partial from complete synovectomy.
How is a bilateral procedure reported?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure payable with modifier 50 at 150%. The record should support the procedure on both wrists.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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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