`29868` CPT® code: payer coverage and prior authorization

Payer policies and prior authorization for 29868

90 of 91 payer prior-auth lists that name 29868 require prior authorization or set conditions: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (AZ Blue), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Cigna, HealthSpring, Humana, Molina Complete Care (Virginia), Molina Healthcare of Arizona, Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida, Molina Healthcare of Idaho, Molina Healthcare of Iowa, Molina Healthcare of Michigan, Molina Healthcare of Mississippi, Molina Healthcare of Nevada, Molina Healthcare of New Mexico, Molina Healthcare of Ohio, Molina Healthcare of South Carolina, Molina Healthcare of Texas, Molina Healthcare of Utah, and others.

Payer	Plan	State	Prior auth	Conditions	Since	Source
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (AZ Blue)	AZ Blue-administered Medicare Advantage (M2K)	AZ	prior auth required		Sep 1, 2026	AZ Blue Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization Requirements Code List (Effective 09/01/2026)
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (AZ Blue)	Federal Employee Program (FEP)	AZ	prior auth under conditions	FEP Blue Focus only	Sep 1, 2026	Federal Employee Program (FEP) Prior Authorization Requirements Code List (Updated 09/01/2026)
Cigna	ACA/IFP	All	prior auth required	May be delegated to eviCore for some clients	Jan 1, 2016	Master Precertification List (For Health Care Providers)
Cigna	Complete/PHS+/Preferred	All	prior auth required	May be delegated to eviCore for some clients	Jan 1, 2016	Master Precertification List (For Health Care Providers)
Cigna	Musculoskeletal	All	prior auth required		Mar 7, 2026	Cigna Commercial Prior Authorization Procedure Code List: Musculoskeletal - Joint Surgery
Cigna	Musculoskeletal	All	prior auth required		Mar 7, 2026	Cigna Commercial Comprehensive CPT Code Reference for Prior Authorization Across All Programs
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois	Blue Cross Community Health Plans (BCCHP), Illinois Medicaid	IL	prior auth required	Carelon-managed	Aug 1, 2025	Illinois Medicaid Prior Authorization Code List, Effective 10/1/2026
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois	Blue Cross Community MMAI (Medicare-Medicaid Alignment Initiative)	IL	prior auth required	eviCore-managed	Jan 1, 2025	Procedure Code List, Effective 1/1/2025
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas	Texas PA exemption (gold card), outpatient, fully insured	TX	prior auth required	Gold-card exemption available	Jan 1, 2024	BCBSTX Outpatient Prior Authorization Exemption Clinical Guidelines (max units, PA exempt date range)
HealthSpring	Medicare Advantage	All	prior auth required		Jan 1, 2025	2026 Q4 Prior Authorization List
Humana	Humana Healthy Horizons	IL	prior auth required		Jan 1, 2027	Humana Healthy Horizons in Illinois Prior Authorization and Notification List To view -specific medical coverage policies, please visit Humana Healthy Horizons in Illinois Clinical coverage policies .
Humana	Humana Puerto Rico MA and Dual Medicare-Medicaid	PR	prior auth required		Nov 3, 2025	Puerto Rico Medicare Advantage and Dual Medicare-Medicaid Plans Preauthorization and Notification List Puerto Rico Medicare Advantage and Dual Medicare-Medicaid Plan Preauthorization and Notification
Molina Complete Care (Virginia)	Medicare-only PA matrix for D-SNP	VA	prior auth required		Jan 1, 2022	Medicare Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix (Virginia), effective Q1 2022
Molina Complete Care (Virginia)	Medicaid	VA	prior auth required		Apr 1, 2025	Virginia Medicaid PA Code Matrix and Virginia code/benefit exceptions, effective Q2 2025
Molina Healthcare of Arizona	Medicare-only PA matrix for D-SNP	AZ	prior auth required		Jan 1, 2022	Medicare Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix (Arizona), effective Q1 2022
Molina Healthcare of California	Medicaid	CA	prior auth required		Apr 1, 2026	Medicaid Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix (California), effective Q2 2026
Molina Healthcare of California	Medicare Advantage	CA	prior auth required		Jul 1, 2021	Medicare Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix (California), effective Q3 2021
Molina Healthcare of Florida	Medicare Advantage	FL	prior auth required		Apr 1, 2021	Medicare Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix (Florida), effective Q2 2021
Molina Healthcare of Idaho	Medicaid	ID	prior auth required		Jan 1, 2025	Idaho Medicaid Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix and Idaho code/benefit exceptions, Q1 2025
Molina Healthcare of Idaho	Medicare Advantage	ID	prior auth required		Apr 1, 2021	Medicare Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix (Idaho), effective Q2 2021
Molina Healthcare of Iowa	Medicaid	IA	prior auth required		Jul 1, 2023	IA Prior Authorization Matrix, effective Q3 2023
Molina Healthcare of Michigan	Medicaid	MI	prior auth required		Jul 1, 2026	Molina Healthcare of Michigan PA Matrix 2026-Q3
Molina Healthcare of Michigan	Exchange	MI	prior auth required		Jul 1, 2021	Molina Healthcare of Michigan PA Matrix, effective 7/1/2021
Molina Healthcare of Mississippi	Medicaid	MS	prior auth required		Jan 1, 2025	Mississippi Medicaid Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix and exceptions, effective Q1 2025
Molina Healthcare of Nevada	Medicaid	NV	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2022	Medicaid Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix, effective Q4 2022
Molina Healthcare of New Mexico	Medicare Advantage	NM	prior auth required		Jan 1, 2021	Medicare Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix (New Mexico), effective Q1 2021
Molina Healthcare of New Mexico	Medicaid	NM	prior auth required		Jul 1, 2026	New Mexico Medicaid Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix, effective July 1, 2026
Molina Healthcare of Ohio	Medicaid and MyCare Ohio (MMP) Medicaid	OH	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2023	Molina Healthcare of Ohio Prior Authorization (PA) Code List, effective 2023-10-01
Molina Healthcare of Ohio	Medicare and MyCare Ohio (MMP) Medicare	OH	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2023	Molina Healthcare of Ohio Prior Authorization (PA) Code List, effective 2023-10-01
Molina Healthcare of Ohio	Exchange	OH	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2023	Molina Healthcare of Ohio Prior Authorization (PA) Code List, effective 2023-10-01
Molina Healthcare of South Carolina	Medicare Advantage	SC	prior auth required		Apr 1, 2021	Medicare Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix (South Carolina), effective Q2 2021
Molina Healthcare of Texas	STAR	TX	prior auth required		Feb 19, 2025	Molina Healthcare of Texas Prior Authorization Annual Review Report (STAR), reviewed 2025-02-19
Molina Healthcare of Texas	STAR+PLUS	TX	prior auth required		Feb 19, 2025	Molina Healthcare of Texas Prior Authorization Annual Review Report (STAR+PLUS), reviewed 2025-02-19
Molina Healthcare of Texas	STAR, STAR+PLUS, STAR Kids, CHIP (Medicaid PA code matrix)	TX	prior auth required		Jan 1, 2021	Medicaid Behavioral Health and Medical Prior Authorization (PA) Code Matrix (Texas), 2026-Q3
Molina Healthcare of Texas	Exchange	TX	prior auth required		Jan 1, 2021	Marketplace Prior Authorization (PA) Code Matrix (Texas), effective July 1, 2026
Molina Healthcare of Utah	Medicare Advantage	UT	prior auth required		Apr 1, 2021	Medicare Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix (Utah), effective Q2 2021
Molina Healthcare of Utah	Medicaid	UT	prior auth required		Jan 1, 2025	Utah Medicaid Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix and Utah code/benefit exceptions, Q1 2025
Molina Healthcare of Washington	Medicare Advantage	WA	prior auth required		Apr 1, 2021	Medicare Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix (Washington), effective Q2 2021
Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin	Medicare Advantage	WI	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2021	Medicare Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix (Wisconsin), effective Q4 2021
Molina Healthcare, Inc. (national grid)	Molina national (MHI) Medicare grid	All	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2021	Medicare Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix (national), effective Q4 2021
Passport by Molina Healthcare (Kentucky)	Medicaid	KY	prior auth required		Jul 1, 2026	Kentucky Medicaid Prior Auth (PA) Code Matrix and Kentucky PA Code Exceptions, effective Q3 2026
Neighborhood Health Partnership	Neighborhood Health Partnership	FL	prior auth required		Sep 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for Neighborhood Health Partnership Effective September 1, 2026
Oxford Health Plans	Oxford Health Plans	All	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior Authorization Requirements for Oxford Effective October 1, 2026
Rocky Mountain Health Plans	Rocky Mountain Health Plans CHP+	CO	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Plan - prior authorization Effective October 1, 2026
Rocky Mountain Health Plans	Rocky Mountain Health Plans Prime / RAE	CO	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Rocky Mountain Health Plans PRIME Effective October 1, 2026
Rocky Mountain Health Plans	Rocky Mountain Medicare Advantage D-SNP	CO	prior auth required		Feb 1, 2025	Rocky Mountain Health Plans Medicare Advantage Dual-Special Needs Plans – prior authorization Effective February 1, 2025
Surest	Surest health plans	All	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior Authorization Requirements for Surest Effective October 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare	Preferred Care Network and Preferred Care Partners of Florida	FL	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for Preferred Care Network and Preferred Care Partners of Florida Effective October 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare	UnitedHealthcare Commercial	All	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for UnitedHealthcare commercial plans Effective October 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare	UnitedHealthcare Complete (Individual & Family plans)	All	prior auth required		Sep 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for UnitedHealthcare Complete Effective September 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare	UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange plans	All	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange plans Effective October 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare	UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage, Peoples Health and Dual Complete (D-SNP)	All	prior auth required	Excluded plans: Erickson Advantage	Oct 1, 2026	UnitedHealthcare® Medicare Advantage/ Peoples Health Plans prior authorization requirements Effective October 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare	UnitedHealthcare Mid-Atlantic Health Plans	All	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for UnitedHealthcare Mid-Atlantic Health Plans Effective October 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare	UnitedHealthcare West commercial plans	All	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for UnitedHealthcare West commercial plans Effective October 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare	UnitedHealthcare of the River Valley	All	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for UnitedHealthcare of the River Valley Effective October 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	AHCCCS Complete Care (ACC)	AZ	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for AHCCCS Complete Care (ACC) Medicaid effective October 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	ALTCS Developmentally Disabled	AZ	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for Arizona Developmental Disabilities Effective October 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	ALTCS Long Term Care	AZ	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for Arizona Long Term Care Effective October 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	KanCare	KS	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for Kansas Medicaid Effective October 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Louisiana Medicaid (Healthy Louisiana)	LA	prior auth required		Jan 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Louisiana
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Maryland HealthChoice	MD	prior auth required		Sep 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Maryland Effective September 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Massachusetts OneCare	MA	prior auth required		Nov 1, 2025	Prior authorization requirements for Massachusetts OneCare Effective November 1, 2025
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Massachusetts Senior Care Options (SCO)	MA	prior auth required		Nov 1, 2025	CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. Prior authorization requirements for Massachusetts Senior Care Options Effective November 1, 2025
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Massachusetts Senior Care Options (SCO) and OneCare	MA	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for Massachusetts MA SCO OneCare Effective October 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Michigan Medicaid, Healthy Michigan Plan, CSHCS	MI	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Michigan, Healthy Michigan Plan and Children’s Special Health Care Services Effective October 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Minnesota Metro Medicaid	MN	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2024	Prior authorization requirements for Minnesota Medicaid Effective October 1, 2024
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Mississippi CHIP	MS	prior auth required		Apr 1, 2025	Prior authorization requirements for Mississippi Children’s Health Insurance Program Effective Apr. 1, 2025
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	MississippiCAN	MS	prior auth required		Apr 1, 2025	Prior authorization requirements for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Mississippi – Mississippi Coordinated Access Network (MississippiCAN) Effective Apr. 1, 2025
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Missouri Medicaid	MO	prior auth required		Jul 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for Missouri Medicaid Effective July 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Nebraska Heritage Health	NE	prior auth required		Jul 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Nebraska Effective July 1, 2026 General Information This list contains prior authorization requirements for participating United
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	New Jersey FamilyCare	NJ	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of New Jersey Effective October 1, 2026 General Information This list contains prior authorization requirements for participating U
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	New Mexico Turquoise Care	NM	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of New Mexico Effective October 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Ohio Medicaid	OH	prior auth required		Nov 1, 2025	Prior authorization requirements for Ohio Medicaid Effective November 1, 2025 General Information This list contains prior authorization requirements for participating UnitedHealthcare Community Plan
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Pennsylvania CHIP	PA	prior auth required		Jul 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Pennsylvania CHIP Effective July 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Pennsylvania Medicaid	PA	prior auth required		Jul 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Pennsylvania Effective July 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Rhode Island Medicaid	RI	prior auth required		May 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for Rhode Island Medicaid Effective May 1, 2026 This list contains prior authorization requirements for participating UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Rhode Island h
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	TennCare	TN	prior auth required		Oct 1, 2026	Prior authorization requirements for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Tennessee Effective October 1, 2026
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Texas CHIP	TX	prior auth required		Jan 1, 2015	Prior authorization requirements for Texas CHIP Effective September 1, 2026 This list contains prior authorization requirements for participating UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Texas CHIP health care
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Texas STAR	TX	prior auth required		Jan 1, 2015	Prior authorization requirements for Texas STAR Effective September 1, 2026 This list contains prior authorization review requirements for participating UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas STAR h
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan	Texas STAR Kids	TX	prior auth required		Nov 1, 2016	Prior authorization requirements for STAR Kids Effective September 1, 2026 This list contains prior authorization review requirements for participating UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas STAR Ki

Payer coverage policies that name 29868

29868 appears in 25 coverage policies from Aetna, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Blue Shield of California, Centene, Health Care Service Corporation (BCBS IL, TX, OK, NM, MT), Premera Blue Cross, UnitedHealthcare.

Payer	Policy	Role in policy	Reviewed	Document
Aetna	Allograft Transplants of the Extremities (0364)	covered if criteria are met	Sep 23, 2026	payer document
Aetna	Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (0247)	not covered	Sep 23, 2026	payer document
Aetna	Coblation (0475)	listed, no stance (range 29800-29999)	Jul 2, 2026	payer document
Aetna	Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) Machines (0010)	listed, no stance (range 29860-29916)	Mar 5, 2026	payer document
Aetna	Remote Ischemic Conditioning (0814)	listed, no stance (range 20000-29999)	Nov 20, 2025	payer document
Aetna	Skin and Soft Tissue Substitutes (0244)	not covered (range 20100-29999)	Jul 29, 2026	payer document
Aetna	Viscosupplementation (0179)	listed, no stance	Sep 2, 2026	payer document
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi	Meniscal Allografts And Other Meniscal Implants	covered if criteria are met		payer document
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island	Meniscal Allografts and Other Meniscal Implants	covered if criteria are met	May 20, 2026	payer document
Blue Shield of California	Meniscal Allografts and Other Meniscal Implants (7.01.15)	listed, no stance		payer document
Centene	Articular Cartilage Defect Repairs (CP.MP.26)	covered if criteria are met	Feb 1, 2024	payer document
Health Care Service Corporation (BCBS IL, TX, OK, NM, MT)	Meniscal Allografts and Other Meniscal Implants (SUR705.034)	listed, no stance	Jul 1, 2026	payer document
Premera Blue Cross	Meniscal Allografts and Other Meniscal Implants (7.01.15)	listed, no stance	Jun 8, 2026	payer document
UnitedHealthcare	Joint Procedures (MMP052.13) Surgery of the Knee	listed, no stance	Jun 1, 2026	payer document
UnitedHealthcare	Surgery of the Knee (CS068.AD)	listed, no stance	Jun 1, 2026	payer document
UnitedHealthcare	Surgery of the Knee (2026T0553JJ)	listed, no stance	Sep 10, 2026	payer document
UnitedHealthcare	Surgery of the Knee (for Idaho Only) (CS068ID.D)	listed, no stance	Aug 1, 2026	payer document
UnitedHealthcare	Surgery of the Knee (for Kansas Only) (CS068KS.05)	listed, no stance	Jun 1, 2026	payer document
UnitedHealthcare	Surgery of the Knee (for Kentucky Only) (CS068KY.13)	listed, no stance	Jun 1, 2026	payer document
UnitedHealthcare	Surgery of the Knee (for Nebraska Only) (CS068NE.AD)	listed, no stance	Jun 1, 2026	payer document
UnitedHealthcare	Surgery of the Knee (for New Jersey Only) (CS068NJ.Z)	listed, no stance	Jul 1, 2026	payer document
UnitedHealthcare	Surgery of the Knee (for New Mexico Only) (CS068NM.F)	listed, no stance	Jun 1, 2026	payer document
UnitedHealthcare	Surgery of the Knee (for Ohio Only) (CS068OH.G)	listed, no stance	Jul 1, 2026	payer document
UnitedHealthcare	Surgery of the Knee (for Pennsylvania Only) (CS068PA.AA)	listed, no stance	Jul 1, 2026	payer document
UnitedHealthcare	Surgery of the Knee (for Tennessee Only) (CS068TN.AA)	listed, no stance	Jul 1, 2026	payer document

Recent prior-auth changes

Jul 1, 2026: PA removed, Humana
Jul 1, 2026: PA removed, Humana
Jul 1, 2026: PA removed, Humana
Jul 1, 2026: PA removed, Humana
Jul 1, 2026: PA removed, Humana
Jul 1, 2026: PA removed, Humana
Jul 1, 2026: PA removed, Humana
Jul 1, 2026: PA removed, CarePlus Health Plans
Jan 1, 2026: PA removed, Molina Healthcare of Michigan
Jul 1, 2024: PA removed, Molina Healthcare of Illinois

Medicaid fee-for-service

Prior authorization required or conditional in WA.

AZ: $3026.13 (asc), effective Oct 1, 2026
CO: $1327.31 (chp_plus, non-facility), effective Jul 1, 2026
FL: $1176.24 (physician, non-facility), effective Jan 1, 2026
IL: $1155.80 (practitioner), effective Apr 1, 2024
IN: $1274.64 (professional, Advanced Practice Nurse (85%), facility), effective Jan 1, 2026
KY: $3607.39 (asc), effective Jan 1, 2026
LA: $1350.70 (professional), effective Jul 1, 2025
MA: $2883.98 (asc), effective May 1, 2026
MS: $2808.67 (comprehensive, facility), effective Oct 1, 2025
ND: $2126.56 (physician, facility), effective Aug 1, 2026
NE: $1985.88 (physician, non-facility), effective Jul 1, 2026
NY: $826.89 (physician_surgery, facility), effective Jul 1, 2026
OH: $1300.32 (physician), effective Jan 1, 2024
OK: $1327.60 (physician, non-facility), effective Jul 1, 2026
TX: $1352.30 (physician, Physician, facility), effective Mar 1, 2026
VA: $1310.19 (medical), effective Jul 1, 2026
VT: $5634.17 (outpatient_hospital_opps), effective Feb 1, 2026
WA: $885.56 (physician, facility), effective Jul 1, 2026
WY: $3208.96 (outpatient_hospital_apc, Ambulatory Surgical Centers), effective Apr 1, 2026

From payers' published prior-auth lists, coverage policies and state Medicaid fee schedules, updated Oct 16, 2026. The role is what the policy's own code table or text says about the code. Not a guarantee of coverage or payment; verify with the payer. CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.

29868 CPT® code: payer coverage and prior authorization

Payer policies and prior authorization for 29868

Payer coverage policies that name 29868

Recent prior-auth changes

Medicaid fee-for-service

`29868` CPT® code: payer coverage and prior authorization