CPT code 11983: Drug implant, removal with replacement2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $144.63 for 11983 nationally in the office and $88.85 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $129.09–$177.64.

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

What 11983 covers

Code 11983 describes removing a nonbiodegradable drug-delivery implant from beneath the skin and placing a replacement during the same encounter. A common example is removal and replacement of an etonogestrel contraceptive implant in the upper arm. A qualified clinician, such as a physician or other authorized practitioner, performs the procedure in an office or facility, typically using local anesthesia and a small incision to remove the existing device and insert the new one.

Report 11983 when both removal and replacement are performed; the record should identify the implant, document both steps, and support the need for the procedure. Do not separately report 11981 and 11982 for those same insertion and removal services. 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 others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of 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 11983 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

11983 rates by state

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

How the 11983 rate is calculated

Each of 11983’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 11983

The CMS indicators that decide how 11983 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

11983 compared with similar codes

How to choose

11981Drug implant insertionNon-biodegradable implant

11981 describes insertion alone. Choose 11983 when the encounter also includes removal of the existing drug implant.

11982Implant removalRemoval only

11982 describes removal alone. Choose 11983 when a replacement drug implant is inserted during the same encounter.

11976Contraceptive implant removalRemoval only

11976 addresses removal of a contraceptive capsule. Select the code that matches the device and procedure performed rather than treating it as interchangeable with drug-implant replacement.

Codes related to 11983

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