CPT code 11921: Skin color correction, 6.1–20.0 sq cm2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $233.47 for 11921 nationally in the office and $115.90 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $205.39–$305.23.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 11921 covers

This service places pigment within the skin to camouflage a color defect, such as hypopigmentation from vitiligo or a scar. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons may perform it in an office or other procedural setting. The area billed at this level measures 6.1 through 20.0 square centimeters; a smaller area uses the lower level, while additional area may require the add-on code.

Document the color defect, its location, the medical reason for treatment, and the measured area. Medicare payment is restricted to specific circumstances, so the record should support the applicable coverage basis. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant is payable only when medical necessity is documented; 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 11921 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

11921 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

How the 11921 rate is calculated

Each of 11921’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 11921

The CMS indicators that decide how 11921 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

11921 compared with similar codes

How to choose

11920Skin tattooingUp to 6 square centimeters

Both codes describe intradermal pigment correction; select 11920 for 6.0 square centimeters or less and 11921 for 6.1 through 20.0 square centimeters.

11922Medical tattooingAdditional treated area

11921 covers the primary area measuring 6.1 through 20.0 square centimeters. 11922 reports additional treated area beyond that primary service.

11900Lesion injectionUp to seven lesions

11900 reports intralesional medication injection for skin lesions, not pigment placement to camouflage a color defect.

19350Nipple reconstructionNipple–areola reconstruction

19350 is for nipple-areola reconstruction. Use 11921 for pigment correction alone when the measured area falls within its range.

Codes related to 11921

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates