`G0289` Arthro, loose body + chondro

What G0289 is

Arthroscopy, knee, surgical, for removal of loose body, foreign body, debridement/shaving of articular cartilage (chondroplasty) at the time of other surgical knee arthroscopy in a different compartment of the same knee

HCPCS Level II long description, CMS October 2026 file. See the G codes page for the full section.

Medicare payment for G0289 (CY2026)

	Work RVU	Practice expense RVU	Malpractice RVU	Total	Medicare rate
Non-facility (office)	1.44	0.45	0.29	2.18	$72.81
Facility (hospital, ASC)	1.44	0.45	0.29	2.18	$72.81

National rates: total RVUs x the CY2026 conversion factor of 33.4009 (non-QP), before geographic adjustment. Actual Medicare payment is 80% of the rate shown after the deductible; the patient or secondary payer owes the 20% coinsurance.

Adjust for a Medicare locality:

Status: Active - payable under the Physician Fee Schedule. Global period: Add-on code: global period of the primary procedure applies.

Medically Unlikely Edit (MUE)

Medicare caps G0289 at 1 unit per date of service for practitioner claims (MAI 2 - date of service edit (absolute): units above the MUE never pay), rationale: CMS Policy. Units above the cap are denied unless the edit's adjudication rules allow an appeal with documentation.

Billed with G0289? These codes are bundled into it

G0289 is a Column 1 code in 23 active NCCI PTP edits. When one of these Column 2 codes is reported on the same date of service, it is denied as bundled - unless the edit's modifier indicator is 1 and documentation supports a distinct service with an NCCI-associated modifier.

Column 2 code	Short description	Modifier indicator
`11000`	Dbrdmt ecz/infected skin<10%	1 - modifier may bypass	Check pair
`11001`	Dbrdmt ecz/infct skn ea addl	1 - modifier may bypass	Check pair
`11004`	Dbrdmt skin xtrnl gent&per	1 - modifier may bypass	Check pair
`11005`	Dbrdmt skin abdominal wall	1 - modifier may bypass	Check pair
`11006`	Dbrdmt skin xtrnl gent per	1 - modifier may bypass	Check pair
`11042`	Dbrdmt subq tis 1st 20sqcm/<	1 - modifier may bypass	Check pair
`11043`	Dbrdmt musc&/fsca 1st 20/<	1 - modifier may bypass	Check pair
`11044`	Dbrdmt bone 1st 20 sq cm/<	1 - modifier may bypass	Check pair
`11045`	Dbrdmt subq tiss each addl	1 - modifier may bypass	Check pair
`11046`	Dbrdmt musc&/fsca ea addl	1 - modifier may bypass	Check pair
`11047`	Dbrdmt bone each addl	1 - modifier may bypass	Check pair
`36591`	Draw blood off venous device	0 - no modifier bypass	Check pair
`36592`	Collect blood from picc	0 - no modifier bypass	Check pair
`96523`	Irrig drug delivery device	0 - no modifier bypass	Check pair
`97597`	Dbrdmt opn wnd 1st 20 cm/<	1 - modifier may bypass	Check pair
`97598`	Dbrdmt opn wnd addl 20cm/<	1 - modifier may bypass	Check pair
`97602`	Wound(s) care non-selective	1 - modifier may bypass	Check pair
`99446`	Ntrprof ph1/ntrnet/ehr 5-10	0 - no modifier bypass	Check pair
`99447`	Ntrprof ph1/ntrnet/ehr 11-20	0 - no modifier bypass	Check pair
`99448`	Ntrprof ph1/ntrnet/ehr 21-30	0 - no modifier bypass	Check pair
`99449`	Ntrprof ph1/ntrnet/ehr 31/>	0 - no modifier bypass	Check pair
`99451`	Ntrprof ph1/ntrnet/ehr 5/>	0 - no modifier bypass	Check pair
`99452`	Ntrprof ph1/ntrnet/ehr rfrl	0 - no modifier bypass	Check pair

G0289 is bundled into these codes

G0289 appears as a Column 2 code in 2 active edits. Reported with one of these Column 1 codes on the same date of service, G0289 is the code that denies.

Column 1 code	Short description	Modifier indicator
`29880`	Arthrs kne srg mnisectmy m&l	1	Check pair
`29881`	Arthrs kne srg mnisectmy m/l	1	Check pair

Data: CMS CY2026 Physician Fee Schedule RVU file (October release, RVU26D) and Medicare NCCI PTP practitioner edits v32.3 (2026 Q4). Verify against the official files before billing or contracting decisions.