CPT 11201, in plain terms, covers Add-on for snipping off up to 10 more skin tags after the first 15, billed with the primary skin tag removal code and counted once for every further group of 10. CPT 11201 is referenced in 6 tracked payer policy changes from Sentara Health Plans, Blue Shield of California, and 3 other payers. For billers and coders, staying current on payer-specific coverage criteria, reimbursement rules, and prior-authorization requirements for CPT 11201 is critical to clean claim submission. Each entry below links to the full policy analysis with effective dates and action steps.
Official descriptor: CPT 11201 on AAPC
Starting January 1, 2027, Sentara Health Plans will require prior authorization for a long list of codes on Virginia commercial plans, including self-funded (ASO) plans, and for code 88380 on commercial, Medicaid and Medicare products, plus code 22860 on Medicare products. Sentara will also stop covering a separate list of codes on Virginia commercial and self-funded plans.
Effective November 1, 2026, Blue Shield of California's Cosmetic and Reconstructive Procedures policy (BSC7.08) has an updated policy statement, guidelines, literature and coding. Reconstructive procedures may be considered medically necessary when the policy criteria are met, including surgery to correct or repair abnormal structures of the body caused by congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, or disease. Procedures such as breast augmentation with implants (19325), breast lift (19316), dermabrasion (15780-15783), hair transplant (15775, 15776), tattooing and tattoo removal (11920-11922), and ear or body piercing (69090) are typically considered cosmetic and not medically necessary for all indications unless the policy says otherwise. A procedure may be denied as not medically necessary if it is likely to result in only minimal improvement in appearance, if the treating surgeon cannot or will not provide sufficient documentation, if there is an alternative approved intervention with equal or superior clinical outcomes, or if it is for cosmetic purposes only.
Policy 7.01.11 treats reconstructive procedures as medically appropriate only when a functional deficit is documented, a reconstructive purpose is documented, and the indication-specific criteria are met, such as the criteria for acne surgery, benign skin lesion removal, breast procedures, pectus repair, dermabrasion, otoplasty, hypertrophic scar revision, and vulvectomy as part of cancer surgery. Procedures that reshape structures to improve appearance or self-esteem without a functional deficit, including breast augmentation with implants, breast lift, rhytidectomy, tattooing, chemical peels, hair transplant, hair removal, and non-surgical body sculpting, are considered cosmetic and not medically necessary for all indications unless the reconstructive criteria are met. Cryotherapy for acne, certain hyperhidrosis treatments, and autologous melanocyte transplantation for vitiligo are investigational.
Aetna's Clinical Policy Bulletin 0633 covers removal of benign skin lesions such as moles, skin tags, sebaceous cysts and seborrheic keratoses when a listed clinical reason applies, such as suspicion of malignancy, recurrent irritation, symptoms, inflammation, or infection. When none of those reasons applies, Aetna treats the removal as cosmetic, and it treats ionized plasma jet therapy and pre-surgical skin ultrasound as experimental. The source is dated by its review on 2026-09-09 and states no effective date for a change, so the billing team should confirm the current bulletin before billing these removals.
Aetna plans exclude coverage of cosmetic surgery and procedures that are not medically necessary. Surgery needed to improve the functioning of a body part is covered even when it also changes appearance, and the policy lists procedures it considers medically necessary when criteria are met, including blepharoplasty, breast reduction, septoplasty and rhinoplasty, scar revision with symptoms or functional impairment, and removal of symptomatic scrotal and cavernous hemangiomas. It lists procedures it considers cosmetic, including breast augmentation, breast lift, buttock lift, chin and cheek implants, deoxycholic acid (Kybella) injections, electrolysis or laser hair removal, and eyebrow or eyelash tattooing.
Health First Colorado across-the-board provider rate increases of 3.0% apply to dates of service beginning July 1, 2023, along with targeted rate rebalances for listed service categories including cardiology, radiology, and primary care and evaluation and management. A directed payment minimum rate fee schedule applies to behavioral health codes H0036, H0037, H2015, H2016, H2021, H2022 and H2033 effective July 1, 2023. Family planning-related services for members in the Emergency Medical Services and Reproductive Health Care Program category have a $0 co-pay effective July 1, 2023, and coverage of laboratory codes 0202U, 0223U, 0224U, 0225U, 0226U, 0240U and 0241U remains after the end of the public health emergency.
Watch 11201
Get one email when a payer policy names 11201, a payer adds or drops it from a prior auth list, or Medicare changes its NCCI pairs, unit limit, payment or coverage articles.
See every payer rule for 11201
Prior authorization lists, coverage criteria, NCCI edits and Medicare coverage articles for 11201 in one place.
Get alerts for changes like this
Save a search and get email alerts when a new policy change matches your filters: daily or weekly, your choice, on every plan.