Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection; intermediate joint or bursa (eg, temporomandibular, acromioclavicular, wrist, elbow or ankle, olecranon bursa)

CPT 20605 is the billing code for "Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection; intermediate joint or bursa (eg, temporomandibular, acromioclavicular, wrist, elbow or ankle, olecranon bursa)". For arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection of intermediate joint or bursa

Medicare pays approximately $53.37 for CPT 20605 (national average). Actual payment varies by geographic location due to GPCI adjustments. Hospital and commercial insurance rates are typically 2-4x higher than Medicare rates.

CPT 20605 has a total RVU of 3.85, broken down as: Work RVU 1.50, Practice Expense RVU 2.20, and Malpractice RVU 0.15. RVUs (Relative Value Units) determine Medicare reimbursement rates.

Key documentation requirements for CPT 20605 include: Indication for injection or aspiration; Joint or bursa location; Medication injected (if applicable); Amount of fluid aspirated. Missing or incomplete documentation is a leading cause of claim denials for this code.

Bundling considerations for CPT 20605: Includes arthrocentesis and/or injection. Includes local anesthesia Use an NCCI bundling checker to verify specific code combinations before billing.

Common modifiers for CPT 20605 include: 50 (Bilateral procedure when both sides injected same session), 51 (Multiple procedures performed same session), LT (Left side procedure). Modifiers indicate special circumstances and can affect reimbursement or prevent claim denials.

The typical time requirement for CPT 20605 is 5-15 minutes typical procedure time. Time-based codes require documentation of the actual time spent providing the service.