No office rate
Use 29900 for diagnostic MCP arthroscopy, with or without synovial biopsy. Use 29901 when partial synovectomy is performed as surgical treatment.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
29901 MCP arthroscopy Medicare reimbursement rates in Wyoming
Reports arthroscopic removal of part of the inflamed synovial lining in a metacarpophalangeal joint when surgical treatment is performed. Compare 29901 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 29901 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
$512.00
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.
Hand arthroscopy
About 29901: MCP arthroscopic partial synovectomy
Reports arthroscopic removal of part of the inflamed synovial lining in a metacarpophalangeal joint when surgical treatment is performed.
A hand surgeon uses an arthroscope and instruments through small portals to remove part of the synovial lining from a metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint. The procedure may be used for persistent synovitis, including synovial inflammation associated with inflammatory arthritis, when arthroscopic treatment is selected. It is performed in a surgical setting; Medicare reported these services in facility settings in 2024.
Report this code when the operative note supports arthroscopic partial synovectomy of an MCP joint. Document the treated joint, arthroscopic approach, and that the synovectomy was partial rather than complete. Diagnostic inspection of that joint performed as part of the surgical procedure is not separately reported. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 for bilateral surgery is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 29901
- 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 not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU6.43 · 41%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.90 · 50%
- Malpractice RVU1.35 · 9%
26
Medicare services in 2024 · #5751 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.
29901 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Wyoming, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
The distinguishing factor is the extent of synovial removal: 29901 is partial, while 29902 is complete.
29999
No office rateUnlisted px arthroscopy
29901 specifically describes arthroscopic partial synovectomy of an MCP joint. Consider 29999 only for an arthroscopic service without a specific code.
Compare 29901 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
$512.00
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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 29901 in Wyoming**.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,380
- Code
- 29901
- Physician work
- 6.43
- Practice expense
- 7.90
- Malpractice
- 1.35
GPCI2026.csv
112
- Locality
- Wyoming**
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 1.000
- Malpractice
- 0.740
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 6.43 | × 1.000 | 6.4300 |
| Practice expense | 7.90 | × 1.000 | 7.9000 |
| Malpractice | 1.35 | × 0.740 | 0.9990 |
| Total RVUs | 15.3290 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Wyoming**$512.00
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 6.43 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 7.9 | 1 |
| Malpractice | 1.35 | 0.74 |
(6.43 × 1 + 7.9 × 1 + 1.35 × 0.74) × $33.4009 = $512.00
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.
29901 billing questions
How is this different from 29900?
29900 is for diagnostic MCP arthroscopy, with or without synovial biopsy. Use 29901 when arthroscopy includes partial removal of synovium as treatment.
When would 29902 be reported instead?
29902 represents complete MCP synovectomy. The operative documentation should support the extent performed; partial synovectomy is reported with 29901.
Can diagnostic arthroscopy of the same joint be billed separately?
Diagnostic inspection performed as part of the arthroscopic synovectomy is integral to the surgical service and is not separately reported for that joint and session.
What documentation supports 29901?
Document the MCP joint treated, arthroscopic approach, synovial disease addressed, and partial extent of synovial removal. The note should distinguish partial from complete synovectomy.
How does the global period affect postoperative visits?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. Those included services are part of the surgical package.
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.
3,37729898,,Ankle arthroscopy/surgery,A,,8.28,6.14,NA,6.14,,1.26,15.68,15.68,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,37829899,,Ankle arthroscopy/surgery,A,,15.02,9.86,NA,9.86,,2.70,27.58,27.58,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,37929900,,Mcp joint arthroscopy dx,A,,5.73,7.83,NA,7.83,,1.23,14.79,14.79,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,38029901,,Mcp joint arthroscopy surg,A,,6.43,7.90,NA,7.90,,1.35,15.68,15.68,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,38129902,,Mcp joint arthroscopy surg,A,,6.98,8.08,NA,8.08,,1.48,16.54,16.54,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,38229904,,Subtalar arthro w/fb rmvl,A,,8.43,7.82,NA,7.82,,1.78,18.03,18.03,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,38329905,,Subtalar arthro w/exc,A,,8.95,4.57,NA,4.57,,0.78,14.30,14.30,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,0,0,9,,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.,,,,,,