CPT code 96921: Excimer laser, 250–500 square centimeters2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in New York, New York
CPT 96921: $169.62–$173.15 office ($52.02–$52.82 facility) across 3 localities in New York, NY in 2026 Medicare. Compare each area.
Medicare pays $169.62–$173.15 for 96921 in the office in New York, New York, from Manhattan, NY to NYC suburbs and Long Island, NY. 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.
On this page 6 sections
Where 96921 pays more and less in New York, New York
New York, New York maps to 3 Medicare payment localities in our Census-to-CMS crosswalk. A city name alone doesn’t confirm an address’s payment area.
3 payment localities
$169.62 to $173.15
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Manhattan, NY | $169.62 | $52.02 |
| NYC suburbs and Long Island, NY | $173.15 | $52.82 |
| Queens, NY | $171.77 | $52.15 |
How payment areas work in New York
City limits and Medicare payment areas are different maps. These are the payment areas that cover the city’s counties; the service ZIP decides which one applies.
- NYC suburbs / Long Island · Bronx County, Kings County, Richmond County
- Manhattan · New York County
- Queens · Queens County
City boundaries: 2026 Census geography · Census source · CMS county-to-locality definitions
How the 96921 rate is calculated
Each of 96921’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 · 96921
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.88
0.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.51
3.51 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.04
0.04 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
4.4300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$147.97
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 96921
The CMS indicators that decide how 96921 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 96921
Excimer laser, 250–500 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| 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
96921 without 51 · national office
$147.97
Excimer laser, 250–500 square centimeters
96921-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$73.99
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%).
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 · Coming soon
Put 96921 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
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