CPT 29881: Knee Arthroscopy with Partial Meniscectomy
Medicare pays $527 and commercial payers pay $2185 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 29881 describes arthroscopic knee surgery for partial meniscectomy, in which the provider inspects the interior of the knee with an arthroscope and removes the damaged portion of the medial or lateral meniscus and, if needed, reshapes articular cartilage by excision or shaving to relieve pain and improve joint mobility; service type: surgical arthroscopy, typical site of service: operating room or ambulatory surgery center under appropriate anesthesia.
For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use Disorders, Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use Disorders, Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use Disorders.
Customize your policy alerts
Sign up for cpt 29881 policy alerts
Get alerted when payer policies referencing 29881 are released or updated.
Monitor payer policy activity
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National means show a clear gap between Medicare and commercial averages: Medicare’s mean is $526.8 versus BUCA’s mean of $2,185.4, indicating BUCA reimbursements are roughly four times higher than Medicare for CPT 29881. Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealth Group also have elevated means ($3,183.9 and $990.4 respectively) that sit above Medicare, while Aetna and Cigna cluster closer to Medicare’s level.
Rate dispersion (P75−P25) highlights where commercial payments vary most. Blue Cross Blue Shield has the widest interquartile spread at $2,506.7, followed by BUCA at $1,691.6 and Aetna at $560.9. The tightest spreads are Cigna at $647.5 and Medicare at $47, indicating relatively consistent payment levels for those payers compared with larger commercial variability.