CPT code 17250: Granulation cautery, chemical treatment2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Report chemical cauterization when a clinician treats excess granulation tissue, such as an umbilical granuloma or tissue around a stoma, with a chemical agent.
Medicare pays $96.24–$122.49 for 17250 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 17250 covers
This service treats excess granulation tissue by applying a chemical cauterant, commonly silver nitrate, to the affected area. Typical examples include an umbilical granuloma or granulation tissue at a gastrostomy or other stoma site. A physician or other qualified clinician may perform it in an office, clinic, or wound-care setting. The target is granulation tissue, not a malignant skin lesion or an area requiring tissue removal by debridement.
Report the service for the chemical treatment itself, with documentation identifying the site and the granulation tissue treated. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; 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 17250 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
$96.24 to $122.49
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $96.44 | $36.40 |
| Chico, CA | $96.24 | $36.20 |
| El Centro, CA | $96.25 | $36.21 |
| Fresno, CA | $96.24 | $36.20 |
| Hanford, CA | $96.24 | $36.20 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $103.15 | $38.35 |
| Madera, CA | $96.24 | $36.20 |
| Marin County, CA | $119.78 | $42.54 |
| Merced, CA | $96.24 | $36.20 |
| Modesto, CA | $96.24 | $36.20 |
| Napa, CA | $112.79 | $40.60 |
| Oxnard, CA | $102.77 | $38.02 |
| Redding, CA | $96.24 | $36.20 |
| Rest of California | $96.24 | $36.20 |
| Riverside, CA | $97.00 | $36.96 |
| Sacramento, CA | $101.34 | $37.63 |
| Salinas, CA | $100.97 | $37.48 |
| San Benito County, CA | $122.49 | $43.50 |
| San Diego, CA | $103.61 | $38.10 |
| San Francisco, CA | $119.70 | $42.46 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $99.31 | $36.92 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $122.17 | $43.18 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $104.81 | $38.25 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $101.42 | $37.55 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $105.89 | $38.62 |
| Stockton, CA | $96.24 | $36.20 |
| Vallejo, CA | $112.68 | $40.48 |
| Visalia, CA | $96.24 | $36.20 |
| Yuba City, CA | $96.24 | $36.20 |
How the 17250 rate is calculated
Each of 17250’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 · 17250
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.49
0.49 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.14
2.14 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.07
0.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
2.7000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$90.18
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 17250
The CMS indicators that decide how 17250 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 17250
Granulation cautery, chemical treatment
| 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) | 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
17250 without 51 · national office
$90.18
Granulation cautery, chemical treatment
17250-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$45.09
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%).
17250 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 17260Skin lesion destructionTrunk, arms, legs, 0.5 cm or less
- This code treats granulation tissue with chemical cautery. Code 17260 is for destruction of a malignant skin lesion on the trunk, arms, or legs, with lesion size determining the level.
- 17270Lesion destructionScalp, neck, hands, feet, genitalia
- This code treats granulation tissue. Code 17270 is for destruction of a malignant skin lesion in its specified anatomic group, including the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia.
- 17280Lesion destructionSmall facial or mucosal lesion
- This code treats granulation tissue with a chemical agent. Code 17280 is for destruction of a malignant lesion in its specified facial and related anatomic group.
17250 billing questions
When should this code be chosen instead of a skin-lesion destruction code?
Use it for chemical treatment of granulation tissue, such as an umbilical granuloma or peristomal tissue. Codes such as 17260 describe destruction of malignant skin lesions, not granulation tissue.
Does the code include same-day care around the procedure?
Yes. Its 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
Can an office E/M service be reported on the same date?
A separately identifiable E/M service may be reported when the record supports evaluation and management beyond the cautery; modifier 25 belongs on the E/M code when appropriate.
Should modifier 50 be appended for treatment on both sides?
No. Bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.
How are multiple procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction.
What documentation supports reporting this service?
Record the treated site, the presence of granulation tissue, and the chemical cauterization performed. The documentation should distinguish the service from lesion destruction or wound debridement.
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 17250 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Build my fee sheet