Arthroscopy, knee, surgical; with meniscus repair (medial OR lateral)

CPT 29882 is the billing code for "Arthroscopy, knee, surgical; with meniscus repair (medial OR lateral)". For surgical knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair of medial OR lateral meniscus

Medicare pays approximately $681.86 for CPT 29882 (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 29882 has a total RVU of 31.35, broken down as: Work RVU 13.50, Practice Expense RVU 16.50, and Malpractice RVU 1.35. RVUs (Relative Value Units) determine Medicare reimbursement rates.

Key documentation requirements for CPT 29882 include: Indication for meniscus repair; Location and type of meniscal tear; Which meniscus (medial or lateral); Repair technique. Missing or incomplete documentation is a leading cause of claim denials for this code.

Bundling considerations for CPT 29882: Includes surgical arthroscopy. Includes meniscus repair of medial OR lateral meniscus Use an NCCI bundling checker to verify specific code combinations before billing.

Common modifiers for CPT 29882 include: 50 (Bilateral procedure when both knees performed same session), 51 (Multiple procedures performed same session), 22 (Increased procedural services for complex repair). Modifiers indicate special circumstances and can affect reimbursement or prevent claim denials.

The typical time requirement for CPT 29882 is 60-90 minutes typical operative time. Time-based codes require documentation of the actual time spent providing the service.