CPT code 96913: PUVA therapy, severe dermatoses, intensive schedule2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $147.30 for 96913 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $126.18–$211.50.

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

What 96913 covers

This service is PUVA photochemotherapy: psoralen is administered as part of treatment, followed by controlled exposure to ultraviolet A light. Dermatologists commonly use it for severe dermatoses, including severe psoriasis, when the treatment plan calls for an intensive course. The service is provided in a dermatology or phototherapy setting by the treating clinician or trained staff operating under the required supervision.

Select this code when the documented PUVA plan meets the intensive schedule specified for severe dermatoses: at least four to five treatments per week for six to eight weeks. The record should support the diagnosis, use of psoralen and UVA, and prescribed treatment frequency and course. The code distinguishes this intensive regimen from the PUVA service reported with 96912. CMS identifies it as an incident-to service; when billed incident-to, it must be performed under physician supervision.

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 96913 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

96913 rates by state

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

How the 96913 rate is calculated

Each of 96913’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 96913

The CMS indicators that decide how 96913 is paid alongside other services.

96913 compared with similar codes

How to choose

96912PUVA therapyPsoralen plus UVA

Both describe PUVA. Choose 96913 when the severe-dermatosis regimen requires at least four to five treatments weekly for six to eight weeks; 96912 describes PUVA without that intensive schedule.

96910PhototherapyTar or petrolatum with UVB

96910 describes photochemotherapy using tar or petrolatum with UVB. 96913 is for psoralen combined with UVA.

96900UV light therapyActinotherapy

96900 is ultraviolet light treatment without the psoralen component of PUVA; 96913 describes psoralen-UVA photochemotherapy for severe dermatoses on an intensive schedule.

Codes related to 96913

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