No office rate
This code describes arthroscopic fracture fixation, with tibial spine avulsion as an example. Code 29851 addresses treatment of intercondylar spine or tuberosity fractures; select according to the documented fracture and procedure.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
29850 Knee arthroscopy Medicare reimbursement rates in Wyoming
Reports operative knee arthroscopy used to fix a fracture, such as a tibial spine avulsion, when arthroscopic fracture fixation is performed. Compare 29850 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Wyoming.
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 29850 in Wyoming?
Wyoming has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$578.68
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Wyoming**
One mapped payment locality.
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.
Orthopedic surgery
About 29850: Arthroscopic knee fracture fixation
Reports operative knee arthroscopy used to fix a fracture, such as a tibial spine avulsion, when arthroscopic fracture fixation is performed.
An orthopedic surgeon uses a camera and instruments inserted through small knee incisions to treat and fix a fracture from inside the joint. A typical example is arthroscopic fixation of an avulsed tibial spine. The service is generally performed in an operating room or ambulatory surgery center, with the arthroscope used to visualize reduction and fixation. The operative report should identify the fracture, the arthroscopic work, and the fixation performed.
Report this code when the surgeon performs arthroscopic fracture fixation, not for a diagnostic knee scope alone or a procedure limited to another knee condition. Document the fracture pattern, arthroscopic approach, reduction, and fixation details to support code selection. CMS assigns 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 requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons are permitted, while team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 29850
- 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 is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU8.06 · 45%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.00 · 45%
- Malpractice RVU1.71 · 10%
15
Medicare services in 2024 · #6066 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.
29850 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Wyoming, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
Code 29855 is for arthroscopic treatment of a unicondylar proximal tibial plateau fracture, rather than the fracture fixation represented by 29850.
No office rate
Code 29856 is for arthroscopic treatment of a bicondylar proximal tibial plateau fracture, not the arthroscopic fracture fixation represented by 29850.
Compare 29850 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.
1 of 1 payment localities
Wyoming** →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$578.68
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 29850 in Wyoming**.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,342
- Code
- 29850
- Physician work
- 8.06
- Practice expense
- 8.00
- Malpractice
- 1.71
GPCI2026.csv
112
- Locality
- Wyoming**
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 1.000
- Malpractice
- 0.740
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 8.06 | × 1.000 | 8.0600 |
| Practice expense | 8.00 | × 1.000 | 8.0000 |
| Malpractice | 1.71 | × 0.740 | 1.2654 |
| Total RVUs | 17.3254 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Wyoming**$578.68
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 8.06 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 8 | 1 |
| Malpractice | 1.71 | 0.74 |
(8.06 × 1 + 8 × 1 + 1.71 × 0.74) × $33.4009 = $578.68
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
29850 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 29851?
Code 29850 describes arthroscopic fracture fixation, with tibial spine avulsion as an example. Code 29851 addresses arthroscopic treatment of intercondylar spine or tuberosity fractures; use the code that matches the documented fracture treatment.
Can diagnostic arthroscopy be billed separately?
The diagnostic inspection is part of the operative arthroscopy when performed as part of fracture fixation. The operative report should support the fracture treatment and fixation rather than a separate diagnostic service.
What documentation supports reporting 29850?
Document the knee fracture, arthroscopic approach, reduction, and fixation performed. The record should make clear that arthroscopy was used to treat and fix the fracture.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative care?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period. Those related services are not separately reported as routine care during that period.
How are multiple procedures in the same session paid?
CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard multiple-procedure reduction to the others, which are paid at 50%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons are permitted, but team surgery is not permitted under the CMS rules for this code.
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.
3,33929846,,Wrist arthroscopy/surgery,A,,6.72,6.60,NA,6.60,,1.29,14.61,14.61,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,0,0,0,9,29840,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,34029847,,Wrist arthroscopy/surgery,A,,7.04,6.95,NA,6.95,,1.49,15.48,15.48,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,3,1,2,0,0,9,29840,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,34129848,,Wrist endoscopy/surgery,A,,6.23,7.10,NA,7.10,,1.21,14.54,14.54,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,34229850,,Knee arthroscopy/surgery,A,,8.06,8.00,NA,8.00,,1.71,17.77,17.77,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,34329851,,Knee arthroscopy/surgery,A,,12.93,10.12,NA,10.12,,2.75,25.80,25.80,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,34429855,,Tibial arthroscopy/surgery,A,,10.49,9.20,NA,9.20,,2.16,21.85,21.85,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,34529856,,Tibial arthroscopy/surgery,A,,13.92,10.59,NA,10.59,,2.97,27.48,27.48,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
10902402,WA,99,REST OF WASHINGTON,1.013,1.053,0.761
11011402,WV,16,WEST VIRGINIA,1.000,0.869,1.431
11106302,WI,00,WISCONSIN,1.000,0.958,0.308
11203602,WY,21,WYOMING**,1.000,1.000,0.740
113"MAC Assignments as of November 22, 2023",,,,,,
114,,,,,,
115*Work GPCI reflects a 1.5 floor in Alaska established by the MIPPA.,,,,,,