Insurance Companies
AARP United Healthcare of Georgia
Broadspire Insurance
Celtic Insurance
Federated Mutual Insurance
First Health Network
Great American
Great West
Mutual of Omaha
One HealthPlan of Georgia
Oxford Health Plans
Secure Health of Georgia
Sentry Insurance
Kaiser Permanente (out of network benefits)
The Current Procedures
Many of the hip arthroscopy billing codes we submit to your insurance carrier are considered "unlisted" ie, CPT 29999. This means that the codes are not the standard ones they recognize. This is because we are able to do advanced procedures with LESS exposure and some insurance companies only cover the procedures when done open with large incisions and hospitalizations. The codes we use and the procedures we do have been around for many, many years, yet some of the insurance companies have not adopted them nor updated their systems. Terminology (CPT) Guidelines for hip arthroscopy only lists seven recognized codes.
Recognized codes:
- CPT 29860 Hip arthroscopy, diagnostic (look in and see)
- CPT 29861 Hip arthroscopy, removal of loose bodies/fragments
- CPT 29862 Hip arthroscopy, debridement/shaving out loose tissue
- CPT 29863 Hip arthroscopy, synovectomy (cleaning out inflammation)
- CPT 29914 Hip arthroscopy; Femoroplasty, shaving femoral head/neck junction.
- CPT 29915 Hip arthroscopy; Acetabuloplasty, shaving the socket rim.
- CPT 29916 Hip arthroscopy, labral repair.
Unrecognized codes
- CPT 29999 Hip arthroscopy, and:
- Repair of gluteus medius or minimus tendon tears,
- Surgery for Ischiofemoral or Subspine impingement
- Labral Reconstruction with allograft
- Bursectomy,
- Release of the snapping hip / iliopsoas tendon,
- Microfracture cartilage repair,
- Arthroscopic cartilage transplantation
- Arthroscopic removal of heterotopic bone
- Debridement/repair Ligamentum Teres
The codes for some of the procedures you might need are UNLISTED. That means that we have to formally APPEAL to your insurance company to cover you for these medically necessary codes. This appeal process can take weeks to months, but because we've been done this so many times over the years, we are generally able to get it done faster than average.
I would like to thank you sincerely for the great care that you have provided me. I am deeply grateful to both of you and all your wonderful clinic and hospital team.
Dr. Hyman diagnosed my problem right away. I had surgery a couple of months later and now after 2 years I feel like a new person.
Since Dr. Hyman operated on my left hip I’ve been able to walk better, longer, and with better ease than I could ever imagine.
I thank God every day that I had that surgery since I have finally gotten rid of the pain that has kept me awake at night for years.
I appreciate you taking the time to educate me about my injury. I also appreciate the kindness and professionalism of the entire staff at Atlanta Sports Medicine.
Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. For the first time in approximately a year and a half I am pain free.
I appreciate the attentive, professional care and could not envision a better experience. I truly am thankful to be under your care.
People who care. Expertise that matters.