CPT code 11440: Lesion excision, face, 0.5 cm or less2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports excision of a benign lesion on the face, ears, eyelids, nose, or lips when its diameter, including margins, is 0.5 cm or less.
Medicare pays $150.83–$190.06 for 11440 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 11440 covers
This service removes a benign skin lesion from the face, ears, eyelids, nose, or lips, including the tissue margins needed for complete removal. Dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and other clinicians who perform skin procedures commonly remove small lesions such as benign facial growths in office or facility settings. The excised tissue may be sent for pathology. Simple closure is part of the excision service.
Choose the code using the lesion’s greatest diameter plus the margins removed, not the lesion alone; document the site, dimensions, benign diagnosis, and excision margins. Report separate lesions individually using the appropriate size and site code. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and 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.
Where 11440 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
$150.83 to $190.06
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $151.17 | $102.85 |
| Chico, CA | $150.83 | $102.51 |
| El Centro, CA | $150.85 | $102.53 |
| Fresno, CA | $150.83 | $102.51 |
| Hanford, CA | $150.83 | $102.51 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $161.19 | $109.03 |
| Madera, CA | $150.83 | $102.51 |
| Marin County, CA | $185.93 | $123.76 |
| Merced, CA | $150.83 | $102.51 |
| Modesto, CA | $150.83 | $102.51 |
| Napa, CA | $175.43 | $117.32 |
| Oxnard, CA | $160.49 | $108.38 |
| Redding, CA | $150.83 | $102.51 |
| Rest of California | $150.83 | $102.51 |
| Riverside, CA | $152.03 | $103.71 |
| Sacramento, CA | $158.46 | $107.19 |
| Salinas, CA | $157.87 | $106.78 |
| San Benito County, CA | $190.06 | $126.48 |
| San Diego, CA | $161.72 | $108.99 |
| San Francisco, CA | $185.80 | $123.64 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $155.31 | $105.10 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $189.55 | $125.97 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $163.37 | $109.80 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $158.50 | $107.09 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $165.03 | $110.89 |
| Stockton, CA | $150.83 | $102.51 |
| Vallejo, CA | $175.25 | $117.14 |
| Visalia, CA | $150.83 | $102.51 |
| Yuba City, CA | $150.83 | $102.51 |
How the 11440 rate is calculated
Each of 11440’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 · 11440
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.02
1.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.12
3.12 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.11
0.11 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
4.2500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$141.95
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 11440
11440 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 11440
Lesion excision, face, 0.5 cm or less
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 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) | 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. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 11440
Lesion excision, face, 0.5 cm or less
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
11440 without 51 · national office
$141.95
Lesion excision, face, 0.5 cm or less
11440-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$70.98
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%).
11440 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 11441Benign lesion excisionFace, 0.6 to 1 cm
- Both cover benign lesions in the same facial site group. Select 11441 when the lesion diameter plus margins exceeds 0.5 cm and falls within its size range.
- 11420Benign lesion excisionScalp, neck, hands, feet, genitalia
- This code covers the same small size level for a different site group, such as the scalp, hands, feet, or genitalia; 11440 is for the face, ears, eyelids, nose, or lips.
- 11400Skin lesion excisionTrunk, arm, or leg; 0.5 cm or less
- This code is for small benign lesions on the trunk or extremities. Use 11440 for the specified facial and related sites.
- 11640Lesion excisionFace, 0.5 cm or less
- The site and size range are similar, but 11640 is for excision of a malignant lesion; 11440 is for a benign lesion.
11440 billing questions
How is the size level selected?
Use the greatest diameter of the lesion plus the margins removed. The combined measurement must be 0.5 cm or less for this code.
Can this code be used for a lesion on the trunk?
No. This code is for lesions on the face, ears, eyelids, nose, or lips. A benign lesion on the trunk or extremities falls in a different site group.
Is simple closure separately reported?
Simple closure is included in the excision service. A more involved repair may be separately reportable when supported by the work performed and applicable coding requirements.
Should modifier 50 be used for lesions on both sides of the face?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code. Report each distinct lesion using the code that matches its site and excised diameter.
Are postoperative visits included?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be billed?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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
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