CPT 27447: Total Knee Arthroplasty, Both Medial and Lateral Compartments
Medicare pays $1176 and commercial payers pay $6397 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 27447 describes a total knee arthroplasty procedure in which the surgeon replaces the damaged weight-bearing surfaces of both the medial and lateral compartments of the knee with metal or other durable implants, optionally replacing the patella; the service is an orthopedic surgical implant procedure typically performed in an inpatient hospital or ambulatory surgery center setting to relieve pain and improve function in a severely damaged knee.
For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Orthopedic Joint Procedures of the Knee for Managed Medicaid (MMC), Health and Recovery Plan (HARP), Child Health Plus (CHP), and Essential Plan (EP) Members, Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation or Implantation Corporate Medical Policy, Autologous Platelet-Derived Growth Factors (Platelet-Rich Plasma [PRP]).
Customize your policy alerts
Sign up for cpt 27447 policy alerts
Get alerted when payer policies referencing 27447 are released or updated.
Monitor payer policy activity
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Nationwide, Medicare’s mean rate for CPT 27447 sits at $1,175.80, which is modestly below the average commercial benchmark represented by BUCA at $6,397.20. This gap of $5,221.40 highlights a substantial difference between Medicare and a composite commercial payer experience; Medicare’s central tendency (median $1,160 and interquartile span $88) indicates tightly clustered local rates across its 47 localities, while BUCA’s median is $7,627.20 with a wider commercial context implied by its quartiles.
Rate dispersion measured as the interquartile range (P75−P25) is narrowest for Medicare at $88.00 and also relatively tight for Aetna at $1,457.00 and Cigna at $1,482.40. The widest IQRs appear for Blue Cross Blue Shield at $8,338.50 and BUCA at $5,391.20, with UnitedHealth Group showing a substantial spread of $1,398.50. These differences indicate much greater variability among some commercial payers compared with Medicare’s concentrated locality pricing.