CPT code 11308: Shave removal, scalp, neck, hands, feet, genitalia2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Report this service for shave removal of one superficial skin lesion larger than 2.0 cm on the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia.
Medicare pays $147.94–$183.09 for 11308 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.
Your location
On this page 9 sections
What 11308 covers
A clinician uses a blade or similar instrument to remove a superficial epidermal or dermal lesion at the skin surface. This code covers a single lesion larger than 2.0 cm on the scalp, neck, hand, foot, or genitalia; common office examples include a broad raised lesion on the scalp or hand. Dermatologists and other clinicians who perform skin procedures commonly provide the service in an office setting.
Choose the code by the lesion’s location and documented diameter, not by the amount of tissue submitted or the number of passes. Record the specific site, size, clinical indication, and removal method; report separate lesions individually. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. 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. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeon and team-surgery payment 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.
Where 11308 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
$147.94 to $183.09
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $148.35 | $59.76 |
| Chico, CA | $147.94 | $59.35 |
| El Centro, CA | $147.96 | $59.37 |
| Fresno, CA | $147.94 | $59.35 |
| Hanford, CA | $147.94 | $59.35 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $157.36 | $61.74 |
| Madera, CA | $147.94 | $59.35 |
| Marin County, CA | $179.20 | $65.23 |
| Merced, CA | $147.94 | $59.35 |
| Modesto, CA | $147.94 | $59.35 |
| Napa, CA | $169.72 | $63.19 |
| Oxnard, CA | $156.48 | $60.94 |
| Redding, CA | $147.94 | $59.35 |
| Rest of California | $147.94 | $59.35 |
| Riverside, CA | $149.36 | $60.77 |
| Sacramento, CA | $154.79 | $60.79 |
| Salinas, CA | $154.20 | $60.52 |
| San Benito County, CA | $183.09 | $66.53 |
| San Diego, CA | $157.47 | $60.79 |
| San Francisco, CA | $179.05 | $65.08 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $151.76 | $59.69 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $182.49 | $65.93 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $158.70 | $60.49 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $154.68 | $60.43 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $160.28 | $61.02 |
| Stockton, CA | $147.94 | $59.35 |
| Vallejo, CA | $169.51 | $62.98 |
| Visalia, CA | $147.94 | $59.35 |
| Yuba City, CA | $147.94 | $59.35 |
How the 11308 rate is calculated
Each of 11308’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 · 11308
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.42
1.42 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.66
2.66 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.13
0.13 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
4.2100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$140.62
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 11308
The CMS indicators that decide how 11308 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 11308
Shave removal, scalp, neck, hands, feet, genitalia
| 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) | 9 | The concept doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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
11308 without 51 · national office
$140.62
Shave removal, scalp, neck, hands, feet, genitalia
11308-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$70.31
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%).
11308 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 11307Shave removalScalp, neck, hands, feet, genitalia
- Use 11307 for a lesion in the same anatomic group measuring 1.1 to 2.0 cm; use 11308 when it is larger than 2.0 cm.
- 11303Shave removalTrunk, arms, or legs over 2 cm
- Both codes cover shave removal of a lesion larger than 2.0 cm, but 11303 is for the trunk, arms, or legs rather than the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia.
- 11313Shave removalFace, >2.0 cm
- Both codes cover shave removal of a lesion larger than 2.0 cm, but 11313 is for the face, ears, eyelids, nose, or lips.
- 11102Tangential skin biopsyFirst or only lesion
- 11102 describes a tangential skin biopsy of one lesion for diagnostic sampling; 11308 describes shave removal of a lesion over 2.0 cm at the specified sites.
11308 billing questions
Which sites qualify for this code?
Use it for a lesion over 2.0 cm on the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia. For the same size lesion on the trunk, arms, or legs, compare 11303; for the face, ears, eyelids, nose, or lips, compare 11313.
How is the lesion size selected?
Document the lesion’s diameter and select the size level that matches the service performed. This code is for a single lesion larger than 2.0 cm.
Can a shave removal and a skin biopsy be reported for the same lesion?
The distinction is whether the procedure removes the lesion or samples it for diagnosis. Do not report both services for the same lesion when they describe the same work.
How many units should be reported for multiple lesions?
The code describes removal of one lesion, so document each lesion’s location and size when reporting multiple removals. CMS applies the standard multiple-procedure reduction to additional procedures performed in the same session.
Does the 0-day global period include a follow-up visit?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. The code does not include a global period extending to later dates.
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 11308 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Join the waitlist