CPT code 21811: Rib fixation, unilateral, 1-3 ribs2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Reports internal fixation of one to three fractured ribs on one side, including thoracoscopic visualization when used during operative stabilization.
In Utah, Medicare pays $529.52 for 21811 in a facility. There’s no office rate.
Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 21811 nationwide
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
On this page 11 sections
What 21811 covers
The surgeon stabilizes one to three fractured ribs on one side with internal fixation, commonly when operative stabilization is selected for substantially displaced fractures or flail chest. Thoracoscopic visualization may be used and is included in the service. Thoracic or trauma surgeons typically perform the operation in an operating room, often during hospital or trauma-center care.
Select the code by the number of ribs treated with fixation on that side, and document the side, ribs stabilized, and fixation performed. The service has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. For bilateral treatment, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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.
How Utah compares for 21811
Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 21811 runs from $480.20 in Wisconsin to $688.39 in Alaska. Utah pays $529.52. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.
- Utah · this page$529.52
- Los Angeles, CA · California$549.49+$19.97
- Washington, DC area · District of Columbia$592.52+$63.00
- Miami, FL · Florida$681.92+$152.40
- Chicago, IL · Illinois$660.22+$130.70
- Manhattan, NY · New York$635.41+$105.89
- Alaska · Alaska$688.39+$158.87
Other areas in Utah first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.
Every other payment area
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| AlabamaAlabama | — | $493.76 |
| ArkansasArkansas | — | $487.63 |
| ArizonaArizona | — | $528.96 |
| Bakersfield, CACalifornia | — | $527.72 |
| Chico, CACalifornia | — | $520.68 |
| El Centro, CACalifornia | — | $521.11 |
| Fresno, CACalifornia | — | $520.68 |
| Hanford, CACalifornia | — | $520.68 |
| Madera, CACalifornia | — | $520.68 |
| Merced, CACalifornia | — | $520.68 |
| Modesto, CACalifornia | — | $520.68 |
| Napa, CACalifornia | — | $558.06 |
| Oxnard, CACalifornia | — | $541.26 |
| Redding, CACalifornia | — | $520.68 |
| Rest of CaliforniaCalifornia | — | $520.68 |
| Riverside, CACalifornia | — | $548.56 |
| Sacramento, CACalifornia | — | $534.49 |
| Salinas, CACalifornia | — | $532.31 |
| San Diego, CACalifornia | — | $536.42 |
| Marin County, CACalifornia | — | $574.85 |
| San Francisco, CACalifornia | — | $571.90 |
| San Benito County, CACalifornia | — | $590.22 |
| Santa Clara County, CACalifornia | — | $578.15 |
| San Luis Obispo, CACalifornia | — | $525.26 |
| Santa Cruz, CACalifornia | — | $534.76 |
| Santa Maria, CACalifornia | — | $532.00 |
| Santa Rosa, CACalifornia | — | $539.31 |
| Stockton, CACalifornia | — | $520.68 |
| Vallejo, CACalifornia | — | $553.81 |
| Visalia, CACalifornia | — | $520.68 |
| Yuba City, CACalifornia | — | $520.68 |
| ColoradoColorado | — | $536.79 |
| ConnecticutConnecticut | — | $578.24 |
| DelawareDelaware | — | $536.48 |
| Fort Lauderdale, FLFlorida | — | $616.32 |
| Rest of FloridaFlorida | — | $583.76 |
| Atlanta, GAGeorgia | — | $564.98 |
| Rest of GeorgiaGeorgia | — | $549.94 |
| Hawaii, Guam, HIHawaii | — | $522.81 |
| IowaIowa | — | $483.35 |
| IdahoIdaho | — | $490.48 |
| East St. Louis, ILIllinois | — | $624.30 |
| Rest of IllinoisIllinois | — | $584.39 |
| Suburban Chicago, ILIllinois | — | $617.15 |
| IndianaIndiana | — | $492.35 |
| KansasKansas | — | $491.47 |
| KentuckyKentucky | — | $525.56 |
| New Orleans, LALouisiana | — | $550.29 |
| Rest of LouisianaLouisiana | — | $528.87 |
| Metropolitan Boston, MAMassachusetts | — | $570.29 |
| Rest of MassachusettsMassachusetts | — | $538.41 |
| Baltimore area, MDMaryland | — | $578.75 |
| Rest of MarylandMaryland | — | $542.44 |
| Rest of MaineMaine | — | $503.42 |
| Southern Maine, MEMaine | — | $511.76 |
| Detroit, MIMichigan | — | $600.61 |
| Rest of MichiganMichigan | — | $546.70 |
| MinnesotaMinnesota | — | $486.72 |
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MOMissouri | — | $536.27 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MOMissouri | — | $539.83 |
| Rest of MissouriMissouri | — | $527.81 |
| MississippiMississippi | — | $507.29 |
| MontanaMontana | — | $544.59 |
| North CarolinaNorth Carolina | — | $506.28 |
| North DakotaNorth Dakota | — | $493.18 |
| NebraskaNebraska | — | $482.55 |
| New HampshireNew Hampshire | — | $538.28 |
| Northern New JerseyNew Jersey | — | $589.86 |
| Rest of New JerseyNew Jersey | — | $577.05 |
| New MexicoNew Mexico | — | $553.38 |
| NevadaNevada | — | $530.37 |
| NYC suburbs and Long Island, NYNew York | — | $661.82 |
| Poughkeepsie and northern NYC suburbs, NYNew York | — | $588.94 |
| Queens, NYNew York | — | $625.03 |
| Rest of New YorkNew York | — | $513.65 |
| OhioOhio | — | $536.19 |
| OklahomaOklahoma | — | $514.00 |
| Portland, OROregon | — | $539.99 |
| Rest of OregonOregon | — | $518.55 |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia, PAPennsylvania | — | $572.22 |
| Rest of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania | — | $531.26 |
| Puerto RicoPuerto Rico | — | $544.64 |
| Rhode IslandRhode Island | — | $545.58 |
| South CarolinaSouth Carolina | — | $523.64 |
| South DakotaSouth Dakota | — | $487.11 |
| TennesseeTennessee | — | $494.86 |
| Austin, TXTexas | — | $541.75 |
| Beaumont, TXTexas | — | $529.01 |
| Brazoria, TXTexas | — | $527.52 |
| Dallas, TXTexas | — | $535.17 |
| Fort Worth, TXTexas | — | $535.24 |
| Galveston, TXTexas | — | $531.90 |
| Houston, TXTexas | — | $579.49 |
| Rest of TexasTexas | — | $530.91 |
| VirginiaVirginia | — | $517.43 |
| Virgin Islands, VIUnited States Virgin Islands | — | $544.64 |
| VermontVermont | — | $500.80 |
| Rest of WashingtonWashington | — | $534.23 |
| King County, WAWashington | — | $570.63 |
| WisconsinWisconsin | — | $480.20 |
| West VirginiaWest Virginia | — | $568.24 |
| WyomingWyoming | — | $522.19 |
21811 rates by state
Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.
Explore a state
Local rates. Clear comparisons.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
View every state and territory as a table
| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | No published base rate | 1 |
| AL | No published base rate | 1 |
| AR | No published base rate | 1 |
| AZ | No published base rate | 1 |
| CA | No published base rate | 29 |
| CO | No published base rate | 1 |
| CT | No published base rate | 1 |
| DC | No published base rate | 1 |
| DE | No published base rate | 1 |
| FL | No published base rate | 3 |
| GA | No published base rate | 2 |
| GU | No published base rate | 1 |
| HI | No published base rate | 1 |
| IA | No published base rate | 1 |
| ID | No published base rate | 1 |
| IL | No published base rate | 4 |
| IN | No published base rate | 1 |
| KS | No published base rate | 1 |
| KY | No published base rate | 1 |
| LA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MD | No published base rate | 3 |
| ME | No published base rate | 2 |
| MI | No published base rate | 2 |
| MN | No published base rate | 1 |
| MO | No published base rate | 3 |
| MS | No published base rate | 1 |
| MT | No published base rate | 1 |
| NC | No published base rate | 1 |
| ND | No published base rate | 1 |
| NE | No published base rate | 1 |
| NH | No published base rate | 1 |
| NJ | No published base rate | 2 |
| NM | No published base rate | 1 |
| NV | No published base rate | 1 |
| NY | No published base rate | 5 |
| OH | No published base rate | 1 |
| OK | No published base rate | 1 |
| OR | No published base rate | 2 |
| PA | No published base rate | 2 |
| PR | No published base rate | 1 |
| RI | No published base rate | 1 |
| SC | No published base rate | 1 |
| SD | No published base rate | 1 |
| TN | No published base rate | 1 |
| TX | No published base rate | 8 |
| UT | No published base rate | 1 |
| VA | No published base rate | 2 |
| VI | No published base rate | 1 |
| VT | No published base rate | 1 |
| WA | No published base rate | 2 |
| WI | No published base rate | 1 |
| WV | No published base rate | 1 |
| WY | No published base rate | 1 |
How the 21811 rate is calculated
Each of 21811’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 · 21811
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work10.52
10.52 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.19
3.19 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.60
2.60 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
16.3100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$544.77
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
The exact Utah inputs and CMS source lines
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
2,027
- Code
- 21811
- Physician work
- 10.52
- Practice expense
- 3.19
- Malpractice
- 2.60
GPCI2026.csv
104
- Locality
- Utah
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.940
- Malpractice
- 0.898
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 10.52 | × 1.000 | 10.5200 |
| Practice expense | 3.19 | × 0.940 | 2.9986 |
| Malpractice | 2.60 | × 0.898 | 2.3348 |
| Total RVUs | 15.8534 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Utah$529.52
Facility: (10.52 × 1 + 3.19 × 0.94 + 2.6 × 0.898) × $33.4009 = $529.52
Payment rules and modifiers for 21811
The CMS indicators that decide how 21811 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 21811
Rib fixation, unilateral, 1-3 ribs
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| 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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
21811 without 50 · national facility
$544.77
Rib fixation, unilateral, 1-3 ribs
21811-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$817.16
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
How 21811 has changed in Utah
21811 · Office / nonfacility
Rate unavailable
Effective 2026-10-01
A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.
One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.
What changed, release by release
January 1, 2015
RVU15A
No ratechanged toNo rate
Held through RVU15B, RVU15C, RVU15D, RVU16A, RVU16B, RVU16C, RVU16D, RVU17A, RVU17B, RVU17C, RVU17D, RVU18AR1, RVU18B, RVU18C, RVU18D, RVU19A, RVU19B, RVU19C, RVU19D, RVU20A, RVU20B, RVU20C, RVU20D, RVU21A, RVU21B, RVU21C, RVU21D, RVU22A, RVU22B, RVU22C, RVU22D, RVU23A, RVU23B, RVU23C, RVU23D, RVU24A, RVU24AR, RVU24B, RVU24C, RVU24D, RVU25A, RVU25B, RVU25C, RVU25D, RVU26A, RVU26B, RVU26C, RVU26D.
January 1, 2013
RVU13AR
Earliest loaded release: No rate
Held through RVU13B, RVU13C, RVU13D, RVU14A, RVU14B, RVU14C, RVU14D.
| Effective from | Office | Facility | CMS release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $529.52 | RVU26D |
| 2026-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $529.52 | RVU26C |
| 2026-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $529.52 | RVU26B |
| 2026-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $529.52 | RVU26A |
| 2025-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $557.31 | RVU25D |
| 2025-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $557.31 | RVU25C |
| 2025-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $557.31 | RVU25B |
| 2025-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $557.31 | RVU25A |
| 2024-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $572.28 | RVU24D |
| 2024-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $572.28 | RVU24C |
| 2024-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $572.28 | RVU24B |
| 2024-03-09 | Not available in this setting | $572.28 | RVU24AR |
| 2024-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $562.94 | RVU24A |
| 2023-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $573.48 | RVU23D |
| 2023-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $573.48 | RVU23C |
| 2023-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $573.48 | RVU23B |
| 2023-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $573.48 | RVU23A |
| 2022-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $578.33 | RVU22D |
| 2022-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $578.33 | RVU22C |
| 2022-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $578.33 | RVU22B |
| 2022-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $578.33 | RVU22A |
| 2021-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $580.50 | RVU21D |
| 2021-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $580.50 | RVU21C |
| 2021-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $580.50 | RVU21B |
| 2021-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $580.50 | RVU21A |
| 2020-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $609.31 | RVU20D |
| 2020-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $609.31 | RVU20C |
| 2020-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $609.31 | RVU20B |
| 2020-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $609.31 | RVU20A |
| 2019-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $622.84 | RVU19D |
| 2019-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $622.84 | RVU19C |
| 2019-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $622.84 | RVU19B |
| 2019-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $622.84 | RVU19A |
| 2018-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $624.73 | RVU18D |
| 2018-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $624.73 | RVU18C |
| 2018-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $624.73 | RVU18B |
| 2018-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $624.73 | RVU18AR1 |
| 2017-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $632.97 | RVU17D |
| 2017-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $632.97 | RVU17C |
| 2017-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $632.97 | RVU17B |
| 2017-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $632.97 | RVU17A |
| 2016-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $637.12 | RVU16D |
| 2016-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $637.12 | RVU16C |
| 2016-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $637.12 | RVU16B |
| 2016-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $637.12 | RVU16A |
| 2015-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $630.38 | RVU15D |
| 2015-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $630.38 | RVU15C |
| 2015-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $627.24 | RVU15B |
| 2015-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $627.24 | RVU15A |
| 2014-10-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU14D |
| 2014-07-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU14C |
| 2014-04-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU14B |
| 2014-01-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU14A |
| 2013-10-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU13D |
| 2013-07-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU13C |
| 2013-04-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU13B |
| 2013-01-01 | Not in this release | Not in this release | RVU13AR |
Where the Utah rate applies
Utah is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 334 cities and communities in Utah. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.
- Alpine
- Alta
- Altamont
- Alton
- Amalga
- American Fork
- Aneth
- Annabella
21811 billing questions
How does 21811 differ from 21812?
21811 is for fixation of one to three ribs on one side. Use 21812 when four to six ribs are treated.
Is thoracoscopic visualization reported separately?
No. Thoracoscopic visualization, when used for the rib fixation, is included in this service.
How is bilateral rib fixation reported?
For bilateral treatment, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant surgeon be reported?
CMS allows payment for an assistant at surgery. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.
What does the 0-day global period include?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. The global period is 0 days.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are paid at 50% under the standard multiple procedure reduction.
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
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