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

CPT 29883 is the billing code for "Arthroscopy, knee, surgical; with meniscus repair (medial AND lateral)". For surgical knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair of medial AND lateral menisci

Medicare pays approximately $829.04 for CPT 29883 (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 29883 has a total RVU of 37.95, broken down as: Work RVU 16.50, Practice Expense RVU 19.80, and Malpractice RVU 1.65. RVUs (Relative Value Units) determine Medicare reimbursement rates.

Key documentation requirements for CPT 29883 include: Indication for meniscus repair; Location and type of meniscal tears; Medial and lateral meniscal findings; Repair technique for each meniscus. Missing or incomplete documentation is a leading cause of claim denials for this code.

Bundling considerations for CPT 29883: Includes surgical arthroscopy. Includes meniscus repair of medial AND lateral menisci Use an NCCI bundling checker to verify specific code combinations before billing.

Common modifiers for CPT 29883 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 29883 is 75-105 minutes typical operative time. Time-based codes require documentation of the actual time spent providing the service.