Effective in 2003, NCCI edits bundled arthroscopic knee chondroplasty (29877) into the more comprehensive surgical knee arthroscopy codes, regardless whether the chondroplasty occurred in the same or different compartment of the knee. At that same time, CMS created a new HCPCS (G0289) code to permit appropriate reporting of arthroscopic procedures in different compartments of the same knee during the same operative session.
Most the insurances I have found, reimburse very little (if at all) for the G0289, but 29877 is not reimbursed separately in any case that I have encountered.