CPT code 17281: Lesion destruction, face and related sites, 0.6–1.0 cm2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in North Dakota

In North Dakota, Medicare pays $171.98 for 17281 in the office and $96.16 when it’s performed in a hospital or facility.

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 17281 nationwide

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 17281 covers

This code describes destruction of a malignant skin lesion by a method such as electrodesiccation, cryosurgery, laser treatment, or chemical treatment. It applies to a lesion on the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mucous membrane when its diameter falls in the 0.6–1.0 cm range. Dermatologists commonly perform the service in an office; surgeons may also perform it in office or facility settings. The diagnosis and treated site should support malignant-lesion treatment rather than destruction of a benign or premalignant lesion.

Choose the code by the lesion’s anatomic site and documented diameter, not by the destruction method. Record the site, size, malignant diagnosis, and method in the procedure note; report each treated lesion according to applicable CPT instructions. Medicare assigns a 10-day global period, so related postoperative visits during that period are included. For multiple procedures 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 for this code. 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.

How North Dakota compares for 17281

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the office rate for 17281 runs from $156.82 in Arkansas to $228.53 in San Benito County, CA. North Dakota pays $171.98. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

Every other payment area

17281 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

See 17281 in every payment locality

How the 17281 rate is calculated

Each of 17281’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 17281

17281 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

Codes related to 17281

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

How 17281 has changed in North Dakota

Price 17281 for an earlier date of service

Where the North Dakota rate applies

North Dakota is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 406 cities and communities in North Dakota. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

• Abercrombie
• Adams
• Alamo
• Alexander
• Alice
• Almont
• Alsen
• Ambrose

Browse all communities in North Dakota

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