Arthroscopy · Knee

Arthroscopic knee surgery removing both the medial and lateral menisci, including any meniscal shaving and chondroplasty of articular cartilage in any compartment when performed.

Verified May 8, 2026 · 5 sources ↓

Medicare: $533.08
Total RVUs: 15.96
Global, days: 90
Region: Knee

Drawn from CMSPriorityhealth

Documentation requirements

What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 5 cited references ↓

Operative note must name both medial AND lateral meniscectomy explicitly — 'bilateral meniscectomy' alone is insufficient for audit purposes.
Document each compartment entered and the work performed in each, including whether chondroplasty was done and in which compartment.
If G0289 is billed alongside 29880, the note must identify the loose/foreign body and confirm it was removed from a different compartment than either meniscectomy.
Specify the surgical indication and pre-op imaging or clinical findings supporting removal of both menisci — medical necessity is scrutinized on bilateral cases.
Record laterality (left vs. right knee) explicitly in both the pre-op diagnosis and operative note to support LT or RT modifier.
If any synovectomy was performed, document whether it was limited cleanup (not separately reportable) or a medically necessary major synovectomy, and in which compartments.

Applicable modifiers

Modifiers commonly billed with this code.

Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual

22 Increased complexity 50 Bilateral procedure 51 Multiple procedures 58 Staged or related 59 Distinct service 62 Co-surgeons 73 Discontinued pre-anesthesia 74 Discontinued post-anesthesia 76 Repeat, same physician 77 Repeat, another physician 78 Unplanned return — related 79 Unrelated during global 80 Assistant surgeon AS PA/NP/CNS assistant LT Left side RT Right side XS Separate structure

Related ICD-10 diagnoses

Diagnoses commonly reported with CPT 29880.

Source · CMS LCDs · AAOS specialty guidance · claims-pattern analysis

M23.211 M23.212 M23.221 M23.222 S83.211A

What this code covers

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 5 cited references ↓

CPT 29880 covers bilateral meniscectomy — medial AND lateral — performed arthroscopically in the same surgical session. Chondroplasty and articular cartilage debridement in any compartment are bundled into this code; do not separately report 29877 or 29879 for work done in the same compartment. The distinction from 29881 is critical: 29881 is one meniscus (medial OR lateral); 29880 requires documented resection of both.

Not everything is bundled. G0289 can be added if you remove a loose body or foreign body from a compartment distinct from where the meniscectomies occurred — different compartment is the operative phrase. Limited synovectomy (29875) is always included and never separately billable. Major synovectomy (29876) cannot be reported alongside 29880 because the meniscectomies already occupy both the medial and lateral compartments, leaving no qualifying compartment for a standalone major synovectomy claim.

The 90-day global period starts the day of surgery. All routine post-op visits, wound care, and follow-up through day 90 are included. Use modifier 24 for unrelated E/M visits and modifier 78 if the patient returns to the OR for a related complication within the global window. Laterality modifiers LT and RT are required by most payers; absent laterality is a leading cause of claim rejection on this code.

RVU & reimbursement

Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.

Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026

Work RVU	7.21
Practice expense RVU	7.28
Malpractice RVU	1.47
Total RVU	15.96
Medicare national rate	$533.08
Global period	90 days

Payment by site of service

Medicare pays different rates by setting. HOPD typically pays substantially more than ASC for the same procedure.

Source · CMS OPPS Addendum B·ASC HCPCS payment rates·2026

Setting	Medicare rate (national)
Office (PFS non-facility) Procedure performed in physician's office	$533.08
HOPD (APC 5113) Hospital outpatient department	$3,342.87
ASC (PI A2) Ambulatory surgical center (freestanding)	$1,644.87

Common denial reasons

The recurring reasons claims for CPT 29880 get rejected.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓

Missing laterality modifier (LT/RT) — most commercial payers and Medicare contractors reject 29880 without it.
Separate billing of 29877 or 29875 on the same knee same session — both are bundled into 29880 per NCCI policy.
Upcoding from 29881 when operative documentation supports only one meniscus resection; payers down-code or deny 29880 if the note doesn't clearly document both medial and lateral work.
G0289 billed for debridement in the same compartment as a meniscectomy rather than a different compartment — NCCI prohibits same-compartment stacking.
29876 billed alongside 29880 on the ipsilateral knee — denied per NCCI because no remaining unoccupied two-compartment space exists after bilateral meniscectomy.
Arthroscopic procedure performed on a knee with severe osteoarthritis without documented non-OA indication — subject to LCD scrutiny under CMS Article A52369.

Frequently asked questions

Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 5 cited references ↓

01What is the difference between CPT 29880 and 29881?

29880 requires resection of both the medial AND lateral meniscus in the same session. 29881 covers one meniscus — medial OR lateral. Bill 29880 only when the operative note clearly documents work on both. Payers routinely down-code 29880 to 29881 when documentation supports only one side.

02Can I separately bill chondroplasty (29877) when I do a 29880?

No. Chondroplasty and articular cartilage debridement in any compartment are bundled into 29880. Billing 29877 alongside 29880 on the same knee violates NCCI bundling rules and will be denied.

03When can I add G0289 to a 29880 claim?

Only when you remove a loose body or foreign body from a compartment that is different from the compartments where the meniscectomies were performed. G0289 for debridement or chondroplasty in any compartment is not separately reportable with 29880.

04Can 29876 (major synovectomy, 2+ compartments) be billed with 29880?

No. The bilateral meniscectomy in 29880 occupies both the medial and lateral compartments. There are no remaining two compartments in which a standalone major synovectomy could qualify, so 29876 is denied on the ipsilateral knee when billed with 29880.

05What happens if a patient needs a return to the OR within the 90-day global period?

Use modifier 78 if the return procedure is related to the original meniscectomy (e.g., treating a complication). Use modifier 79 if the return procedure is entirely unrelated. Do not use modifier 79 for complications — that is the most common global period modifier error on this code.

06Is 29880 covered for osteoarthritic knees?

CMS has significant coverage restrictions for arthroscopic procedures on severely osteoarthritic knees. If the primary diagnosis is osteoarthritis without a distinct meniscal pathology driving the resection, expect LCD scrutiny. Document the specific meniscal tear or mechanical symptom separately from the OA diagnosis.

07Do I need laterality modifiers on 29880?

Yes. Append LT or RT on every claim. Medicare and most commercial payers reject 29880 without a laterality modifier. Bilateral knee meniscectomy in a single session is exceedingly rare and would require modifier 50 with strong documentation.

Sources & references

Editorial content was developed using the following public sources. Last verified May 8, 2026.

Mira AI Scribe

Mira's AI scribe captures compartment-level detail from dictation — which menisci were resected, whether chondroplasty was performed and in which compartment, and whether any loose body was removed from a separate compartment. That granularity is what separates a defensible 29880 claim from a down-coded 29881 or a bundling denial on G0289. The scribe also flags when operative dictation mentions only one meniscus, prompting the surgeon to confirm before the note is finalized.

See how Mira captures CPT 29880 documentation