Billing code 21933: Back tumor excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Excision of a soft tissue tumor at least 5 cm across from beneath the back or flank fascia, including an intramuscular tumor.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 21933 in Utah.
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 9 sections
What 21933 covers
This service removes a soft tissue tumor measuring 5 cm or more that lies beneath the fascia of the back or flank, including a tumor within muscle. A surgeon typically performs the excision in an operating room or an appropriately equipped outpatient setting. The code distinguishes a deep tumor from a subcutaneous lesion and distinguishes tumors at least 5 cm from smaller deep tumors.
Choose the code based on the tumor’s documented depth and size, not the length of the incision. The operative report should support the back or flank site, the tumor’s deep location, its dimensions, and the excision performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Bilateral adjustment is inappropriate for this code. 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.
21933 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $676.12 |
How the 21933 rate is calculated
Each of 21933’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 · 21933
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 10.85Practice expense 7.47Malpractice 2.64
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 21933
21933 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 21933
Back tumor excision
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 21933
Back tumor excision
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
21933 without 51 · national facility
$700.08
Back tumor excision
21933-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$350.04
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%).
21933 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
21933 vs 21932 vs 21931 vs 21936 vs 21925: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 21932Back tumor excision
- Both cover deep back or flank tumor excision; 21933 is for tumors 5 cm or larger, while 21932 is for smaller tumors.
- 21931Back mass excision
- 21931 applies to a subcutaneous lesion at least 3 cm across. Use 21933 for a tumor at least 5 cm across that lies beneath the fascia.
- 21936Back tumor resection
- 21936 describes resection of a back or flank tumor 5 cm or larger; 21933 describes excision of a deep tumor of that size. Select based on the procedure performed and documented.
- 21925Soft-tissue biopsy
- 21925 is for deep soft tissue sampling by biopsy; 21933 is for excision of the deep tumor measuring at least 5 cm.
21933 billing questions
When should 21933 be selected instead of 21932?
Both describe excision of a deep soft tissue tumor of the back or flank. Select 21933 when the tumor is at least 5 cm; 21932 is for a smaller deep tumor.
How does 21933 differ from 21931?
21933 is for a deep tumor at least 5 cm across. 21931 describes excision of a subcutaneous back or flank lesion at least 3 cm across.
Can a biopsy and the excision be reported together?
A biopsy code describes sampling rather than removal of the tumor. The operative documentation should establish whether the service was a diagnostic biopsy or an excision; do not report both for the same work.
Does modifier 50 apply when tumors are removed on both sides?
CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for 21933. Do not use modifier 50 to claim a bilateral adjustment for this code.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
May an assistant or another surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. CMS does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery for this code.
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
Put 21933 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →