CPT code 11055: Lesion paring, one lesion2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

Medicare pays $75.42–$96.47 for 11055 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.

What 11055 covers

This service removes the thickened surface of one benign hyperkeratotic lesion, commonly a corn or callus, by paring or cutting it. Podiatrists, dermatologists, and other qualified clinicians may perform it in an office or outpatient setting. The target is a localized thickened lesion, not a wound requiring tissue-depth debridement or a nail requiring trimming or debridement.

Select this code when one lesion is treated; use 11056 for two to four lesions or 11057 for more than four. Document the lesion, its location, the treatment performed, and the clinical reason for care. Medicare payment is restricted to specific circumstances, so the record must support coverage under the applicable criteria. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and 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% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate because this code counts lesions rather than paired anatomy. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service, and co-surgeon or team-surgery billing is 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.

Where 11055 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 of 29 payment localities

How the 11055 rate is calculated

Each of 11055’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 11055

The CMS indicators that decide how 11055 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

11055 compared with similar codes

How to choose

11056Lesion paringTwo to four lesions

Use 11056 when two to four hyperkeratotic lesions are treated; 11055 represents one lesion.

11057Callus paringMore than four lesions

Use 11057 when more than four hyperkeratotic lesions are treated; 11055 represents one lesion.

11042Wound debridementSubcutaneous tissue, first 20 sq cm

11042 is for debridement of subcutaneous tissue in a wound. Use 11055 for paring a benign hyperkeratotic lesion rather than wound-bed debridement.

17110Benign lesion destructionUp to 14 lesions

17110 describes destruction of benign skin lesions. Use 11055 when the service is paring or cutting a hyperkeratotic lesion rather than destroying it.

Codes related to 11055

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