Knee arthroscopy for loose body removal, foreign body removal, or articular cartilage debridement/shaving performed in a different compartment than another surgical knee arthroscopy done at the same encounter.

Verified May 8, 2026 · 7 sources ↓

Medicare: $72.81
Total RVUs: 2.18
Global, days
Region: Knee

Drawn from CMSAAPCMedicalbillersandcoders

Documentation requirements

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

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 7 cited references ↓

Identify the specific knee compartment where the primary surgical arthroscopy was performed (medial, lateral, or patellofemoral).
Separately document the compartment where the loose body removal, foreign body removal, or chondroplasty under G0289 occurred — must be a different compartment from the primary procedure.
Describe the loose or foreign body by location, size, and method of removal, or describe the extent of articular cartilage shaving performed.
Operative note must name the primary concurrent knee arthroscopy procedure to establish that G0289 was performed 'at the time of other surgical knee arthroscopy.'
Document medical necessity for the additional compartment work separately from the indication for the primary procedure.

Applicable modifiers

Modifiers commonly billed with this code.

Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual

22 Increased complexity 51 Multiple procedures 59 Distinct service LT Left side RT Right side

What this code covers

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 7 cited references ↓

G0289 is a Medicare HCPCS code created specifically to allow separate reporting when a surgeon removes a loose body, foreign body, or performs chondroplasty in a knee compartment distinct from where another surgical knee arthroscopy was performed during the same session. CPT codes 29874 and 29877 are bundled into other knee arthroscopy codes (29866–29889) and cannot be unbundled under any circumstance — G0289 is the Medicare-specific workaround that permits reporting of this additional work when the strict compartment-separation requirement is met.

The compartment rule is absolute: G0289 cannot be reported if the loose body removal or chondroplasty occurs in the same compartment as the primary arthroscopic procedure. When billing alongside 29880 or 29881 — which already include chondroplasty in any compartment — G0289 is only reportable for loose body or foreign body removal from a different compartment, not for additional chondroplasty. If chondroplasty is the sole procedure performed, use 29877 for all payers including Medicare; G0289 requires a concurrent surgical knee arthroscopy.

Private payers vary. Many follow CMS NCCI rules but some layer on AAOS guidelines (including size thresholds for loose bodies) that CMS does not recognize. Confirm payer policy before appending G0289 to commercial claims. The ZZZ global period means this code attaches to the global period of the primary procedure billed on the same claim.

RVU & reimbursement

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

Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026

Work RVU	1.44
Practice expense RVU	0.45
Malpractice RVU	0.29
Total RVU	2.18
Medicare national rate	$72.81
Global period	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	$72.81

Common denial reasons

The recurring reasons claims for CPT G0289 get rejected.

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

G0289 billed for chondroplasty or loose body removal in the same compartment as the primary arthroscopic procedure — compartment separation is required.
G0289 appended to 29880 or 29881 for chondroplasty rather than loose/foreign body removal — those meniscectomy codes already bundle chondroplasty in any compartment.
G0289 submitted as a standalone code when no concurrent surgical knee arthroscopy was performed at the same encounter — 29877 is correct in that scenario.
Operative note lacks explicit compartment documentation, making it impossible to verify the different-compartment requirement during audit.
Commercial payer denials where the carrier does not recognize G0289 and requires 29874 or 29877 instead — payer-specific policy must be verified.

Frequently asked questions

Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 7 cited references ↓

01Can G0289 be reported when 29880 or 29881 is billed for the same knee?

Only if G0289 is for loose body or foreign body removal from a different compartment. 29880 and 29881 already include chondroplasty in any compartment, so G0289 for chondroplasty alongside either meniscectomy code is not separately reportable.

02Why can't 29874 or 29877 be used instead of G0289 when another knee arthroscopy is performed?

NCCI bundles 29874 and 29877 into all other knee arthroscopy codes (29866–29889) with a '0' modifier indicator — meaning they cannot be unbundled under any circumstance. G0289 is the Medicare-specific code that replaces them when the different-compartment requirement is satisfied.

03If chondroplasty is the only procedure performed, which code applies?

Use 29877 for all payers including Medicare. G0289 requires a concurrent surgical knee arthroscopy at the same encounter — it cannot stand alone.

04Do private payers follow the same G0289 rules as Medicare?

Many commercial payers adopt NCCI rules but some also apply AAOS guidelines that include loose body size thresholds CMS does not recognize. Verify payer-specific policy before billing G0289 on commercial claims.

05What does the ZZZ global period mean for G0289?

ZZZ indicates G0289 has no independent global period — it rolls into the global period of the primary surgical procedure billed on the same claim.

06Can G0289 be reported more than once on the same claim if work was done in multiple additional compartments?

NCCI policy addresses the different-compartment rule but does not explicitly authorize multiple units of G0289 per encounter. In practice, experienced coders report it has been billed once per qualifying additional compartment, but payer acceptance varies — confirm with your MAC before submitting multiple units.

Sources & references

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

Mira AI Scribe

Mira's AI scribe captures the specific knee compartment for every arthroscopic maneuver dictated — logging where the primary procedure occurred and flagging any loose body removal or chondroplasty performed in a separate compartment. That compartment-level detail is what supports G0289 and prevents the most common denial: an operative note that documents the work but fails to prove it happened in a different compartment from the primary procedure.

See how Mira captures CPT G0289 documentation