CPT code 97811: Acupuncture, each additional 15 minutes2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Report this add-on for each additional 15 minutes of one-on-one acupuncture without electrical stimulation, following the initial acupuncture service.
Medicare pays $29.34–$34.93 for 97811 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. 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.
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On this page 9 sections
What 97811 covers
This add-on represents an additional 15 minutes of direct, one-on-one acupuncture care without electrical stimulation, including reinsertion of one or more needles. Acupuncturists and other qualified practitioners may provide the service in an office or facility setting. A typical treatment uses needles placed at selected points and manually manipulated; electrical stimulation of the needles belongs to a different code family.
Report 97811 only with the primary acupuncture service 97810, after the initial service, and only for additional qualifying time. Document the practitioner’s face-to-face time and needle reinsertion supporting the additional service. CMS classifies 97811 as an add-on code: it must be billed with a primary procedure and is paid within that procedure’s global period.
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 97811 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 payment localities
$29.34 to $34.93
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $29.45 | $21.03 |
| Chico, CA | $29.34 | $20.92 |
| El Centro, CA | $29.35 | $20.93 |
| Fresno, CA | $29.34 | $20.92 |
| Hanford, CA | $29.34 | $20.92 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $30.88 | $21.80 |
| Madera, CA | $29.34 | $20.92 |
| Marin County, CA | $34.24 | $23.41 |
| Merced, CA | $29.34 | $20.92 |
| Modesto, CA | $29.34 | $20.92 |
| Napa, CA | $32.69 | $22.56 |
| Oxnard, CA | $30.63 | $21.55 |
| Redding, CA | $29.34 | $20.92 |
| Rest of California | $29.34 | $20.92 |
| Riverside, CA | $29.67 | $21.25 |
| Sacramento, CA | $30.44 | $21.50 |
| Salinas, CA | $30.31 | $21.41 |
| San Benito County, CA | $34.93 | $23.85 |
| San Diego, CA | $30.75 | $21.56 |
| San Francisco, CA | $34.20 | $23.37 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $29.86 | $21.11 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $34.79 | $23.71 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $30.83 | $21.50 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $30.35 | $21.39 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $31.13 | $21.69 |
| Stockton, CA | $29.34 | $20.92 |
| Vallejo, CA | $32.64 | $22.52 |
| Visalia, CA | $29.34 | $20.92 |
| Yuba City, CA | $29.34 | $20.92 |
How the 97811 rate is calculated
Each of 97811’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 · 97811
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.46
0.46 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.36
0.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.03
0.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.8500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$28.39
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 97811
The CMS indicators that decide how 97811 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 97811
Acupuncture, each additional 15 minutes
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| 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. |
97811 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 97810AcupunctureWithout electrical stimulation, initial 15 minutes
- Use 97810 for the initial 15 minutes of acupuncture without electrical stimulation; use 97811 for qualifying additional 15-minute periods.
- 97814AcupunctureAdditional 15 minutes with stimulation
- Both represent additional acupuncture time, but 97814 is for treatment using electrical stimulation and 97811 is for treatment without it.
- 97813AcupunctureWith electrical stimulation
- 97813 represents the initial acupuncture service with electrical stimulation. 97811 represents additional time without electrical stimulation.
97811 billing questions
Can 97811 be reported by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with the primary acupuncture service, 97810.
How does 97811 differ from 97810?
97810 represents the initial 15 minutes of acupuncture without electrical stimulation. 97811 represents each additional 15 minutes after that initial service.
What documentation supports 97811?
Document the additional one-on-one time and needle reinsertion supporting the service, along with the acupuncture treatment provided.
When should 97814 be used instead?
Use 97814 for additional acupuncture time when electrical stimulation is applied to the needles. Code 97811 is for treatment without electrical stimulation.
How does the CMS add-on rule affect payment?
CMS requires 97811 to be billed with a primary procedure and pays it within that procedure’s global period.
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
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