CPT code 11920: Skin tattooing, up to 6 square centimeters2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports intradermal pigment placement to camouflage a skin color defect when the treated area measures 6 square centimeters or less.
Medicare pays $227.84–$286.22 for 11920 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
Your location
On this page 9 sections
What 11920 covers
This service places insoluble pigment within the skin to improve the appearance of a color difference, such as a hypopigmented or hyperpigmented scar. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons may perform it in an office or other treatment setting. The treated surface area, rather than the number of pigment passes, determines whether this small-area code fits. Tattooing used to create or restore color is distinct from injecting medication into a lesion or placing filler beneath the skin.
Report this code when the total area treated is 6 square centimeters or less; document the defect, treated site, and measured area. Medicare payment is restricted to specific circumstances. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
Where 11920 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 payment localities
$227.84 to $286.22
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $228.62 | $103.79 |
| Chico, CA | $227.84 | $103.00 |
| El Centro, CA | $227.88 | $103.05 |
| Fresno, CA | $227.84 | $103.00 |
| Hanford, CA | $227.84 | $103.00 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $243.75 | $109.01 |
| Madera, CA | $227.84 | $103.00 |
| Marin County, CA | $279.76 | $119.17 |
| Merced, CA | $227.84 | $103.00 |
| Modesto, CA | $227.84 | $103.00 |
| Napa, CA | $264.32 | $114.20 |
| Oxnard, CA | $242.53 | $107.90 |
| Redding, CA | $227.84 | $103.00 |
| Rest of California | $227.84 | $103.00 |
| Riverside, CA | $230.85 | $106.02 |
| Sacramento, CA | $239.19 | $106.73 |
| Salinas, CA | $238.31 | $106.31 |
| San Benito County, CA | $286.22 | $121.98 |
| San Diego, CA | $244.04 | $107.82 |
| San Francisco, CA | $279.45 | $118.85 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $234.49 | $104.76 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $284.92 | $120.68 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $246.45 | $108.06 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $239.24 | $106.43 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $248.93 | $109.07 |
| Stockton, CA | $227.84 | $103.00 |
| Vallejo, CA | $263.86 | $113.74 |
| Visalia, CA | $227.84 | $103.00 |
| Yuba City, CA | $227.84 | $103.00 |
How the 11920 rate is calculated
Each of 11920’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 11920
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.57
1.57 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense4.63
4.63 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.28
0.28 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
6.4800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$216.44
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 11920
The CMS indicators that decide how 11920 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 11920
Skin tattooing, up to 6 square centimeters
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
11920 without 51 · national office
$216.44
Skin tattooing, up to 6 square centimeters
11920-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$108.22
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
11920 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 11921Skin color correction6.1–20.0 sq cm
- Both codes cover intradermal pigment placement for skin color correction. Choose 11920 for 6 square centimeters or less and 11921 for 6.1 through 20 square centimeters.
- 11922Medical tattooingAdditional treated area
- 11922 covers each additional 20 square centimeters, or part thereof, beyond the primary area and is reported with 11921. It does not replace the primary area code.
- 11900Lesion injectionUp to seven lesions
- 11900 is for therapeutic injection into a small number of skin lesions. It is not the code for implanting pigment to camouflage a color defect.
11920 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 11921?
Use 11920 for a treated area of 6 square centimeters or less. Code 11921 is for an area from 6.1 through 20 square centimeters.
How is the treated area counted?
Select the code based on the surface area receiving pigment, not the number of lesions, pigment passes, or separate needle placements. Document the measured area and the skin site.
Can 11922 be reported with this code?
11922 is an add-on for additional area beyond the primary tattooing range; it is reported with 11921 when the total area exceeds 20 square centimeters, not with 11920 alone.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for treatment on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this descriptor or anatomy. Report the service based on the total treated area.
What does the 0-day global period include?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. No postoperative global days extend beyond the date of service.
What documentation supports Medicare payment?
Document the skin color defect, its location, the area treated in square centimeters, and the medical circumstances supporting the service. Medicare payment is restricted to specific circumstances.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
Fee sheets
Put 11920 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Build my fee sheet