CPT code 29882: Meniscus repair2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Virginia
Report this code when a surgeon repairs one medial or lateral knee meniscus arthroscopically, preserving a tear that is suitable for repair.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 29882 in Virginia.
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 29882 covers
An orthopedic surgeon uses a knee arthroscope and instruments passed through small incisions to repair a tear in either the medial or lateral meniscus. The procedure is commonly performed in a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center for a tear the surgeon considers suitable for repair rather than removal. The repair may use sutures or fixation devices to stabilize the meniscal tissue.
Choose this code when the operative report supports repair of one meniscus; it does not describe repair of both menisci. Document the side, compartment, tear, and repair performed so the service can be distinguished from meniscectomy. Medicare 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 a bilateral procedure, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; 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.
Where 29882 pays more and less in Virginia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Unavailable | $713.43 |
| Virginia | Unavailable | $619.16 |
How the 29882 rate is calculated
Each of 29882’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 · 29882
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work9.36
9.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.00
8.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.86
1.86 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
19.2200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$641.97
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 29882
29882 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 29882
Meniscus repair
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| 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 · 29882
Meniscus repair
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
29882 without 50 · national facility
$641.97
Meniscus repair
29882-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$962.96
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).
29882 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 29883Meniscus repair
- 29882 covers repair of one meniscus, medial or lateral; 29883 is used when both menisci are repaired.
- 29881Knee meniscectomy
- 29881 describes arthroscopic meniscal tissue removal in one compartment. Use 29882 when the meniscus is repaired instead.
- 29880Knee meniscectomy
- 29880 describes arthroscopic meniscal tissue removal in both compartments, rather than repair of one meniscus.
- 27403Meniscus repair
- 27403 describes open meniscus repair. 29882 is for repair performed arthroscopically.
29882 billing questions
When should I use 29882 instead of 29883?
Use 29882 for repair of either the medial or lateral meniscus. Use 29883 when the surgeon repairs both menisci.
How does 29882 differ from meniscectomy codes?
29882 represents repair that preserves the meniscal tissue. Codes 29880 and 29881 describe removal of meniscal tissue, not repair.
What documentation supports 29882?
The operative report should identify the repaired meniscus and compartment, describe the tear, and document the repair performed.
How is bilateral 29882 reported?
For a bilateral procedure, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid for this procedure?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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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