Medicare AdvantageBilling CodesHigh impact
Joint Procedures
UnitedHealthcare·Orthopedics, General Surgery, Sports Medicine·Medical Policy
Effective date
Oct 1, 2026
We identified it
Sep 2, 2026
Summary
UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage updated its Joint Procedures policy effective October 1, 2026, removing coverage language for acetabuloplasty/Girdlestone procedures, renaming the wrist/thumb surgery section, and modifying applicable CPT codes including additions for FAI syndrome (27299) and removals of codes 25449, 29840, and 27122. Billing teams must update system rules and remove obsolete codes from claims submission workflows.
Action Required
By September 30, 2026: Billing team must update coding system to remove CPT codes 25449, 29840, and 27122 from the Medicare Advantage billing rules and encounter forms for joint procedures. Add CPT code 27299 to the FAI syndrome coverage category. Update any pre-populated code lists, templates, and charge capture systems to reflect these changes. Retrain billing and provider staff on the new wrist/thumb surgery section naming convention. Audit any pending claims using removed codes 25449, 29840, and 27122 and resubmit with appropriate alternatives before the effective date. Starting October 1, 2026, do not bill removed codes for Medicare Advantage members—claims will be denied due to non-covered procedure codes. Verify with providers which alternative codes should be used for procedures previously billed under the deleted codes.