CPT 29882: Arthroscopic Knee Meniscal Repair
CPT code 29882 represents arthroscopic knee meniscal repair, a minimally invasive surgical procedure to repair a torn meniscus in the medial or lateral compartment. This procedure is commonly performed to reduce pain and restore mobility in patients with meniscal tears and is a routine service across orthopedic and sports medicine practices nationwide. Its clinical importance lies in joint preservation and improved functional outcomes compared with meniscectomy in appropriate patients.
Key payers included in this analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context, typical sites of service, commonly associated diagnosis codes, and adjacent CPT codes used in knee arthroscopy billing. The publication also summarizes benchmarking and reimbursement considerations across major commercial payers and Medicare, common modifier usage, and coding relationships to related procedures such as arthroscopic chondroplasty and open meniscal repair.
This summary provides frontline billing and coding professionals, practice managers, and policy analysts with a clear reference for identifying when 29882 applies, how it fits among related knee procedures, and what payers typically cover the service. Data not available in the input: detailed payer-specific reimbursement rates and regional utilization statistics.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 29882 describes an arthroscopic procedure in which the provider inspects the interior of the knee joint with an arthroscope and performs a repair of a torn meniscus (crescent-shaped cartilage) in either the medial or lateral compartment. The procedure is intended to relieve pain and improve joint mobility by restoring meniscal integrity.
Service type: Knee arthroscopy with meniscal repair
Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center, with the procedure performed in an operating room setting under appropriate anesthesia.
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National means show a clear gap between Medicare and an average commercial buyer: Medicare mean is $654.3 versus BUCA’s mean of $2357.3, placing the BUCA average roughly $1703 higher than Medicare. Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealth Group have means ($3348.9 and $1234.3) that sit above Medicare as well, while Aetna ($721.6) and Cigna ($1149.7) are closer to Medicare’s level but still higher on average.
Dispersion (P75 minus P25) varies materially across payers. Blue Cross Blue Shield is the most dispersed with a spread of $2,764.9 ($4,558.1 − $1,794.1), while Aetna’s spread is $680.6 ($961.7 − $278.1). UnitedHealth Group shows a wide spread of $751.7 ($1,526.7 − $775.0). Cigna’s spread is $807.2 ($1,482.2 − $695.5). BUCA’s interquartile span is $1,896.8 ($3,171.8 − $1,275.0). Medicare’s interquartile range is narrow at $56 ($679 − $623).