Billing code 11102: Tangential skin biopsyMedicare rate & RVUs
Report 11102 for the first tangential skin lesion sampled by shave, scoop, saucerization, or curette when no higher-valued biopsy technique is used.
Medicare pays $95.53 for 11102 nationally in the office and $30.06 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $84.38–$128.84.
Medicare rate · 11102
Tangential skin biopsy
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
- Work RVUs
- 0.64
- Total RVUs
- 2.86
- Global days
- 000
National rate · 2026
$95.53
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 11102 → · Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
On this page 10 sections
What 11102 covers
A tangential biopsy takes a diagnostic skin sample using a blade held nearly parallel to the surface, a scoop or saucerizing technique, or a curette. Sampling depth varies and can reach the deep dermis or subcutaneous tissue. Dermatologists, primary care clinicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants commonly perform it in the office for lesions suspicious for basal or squamous cell carcinoma. Local anesthesia, hemostasis, and simple closure or dressing when performed are included; pathology examination of the specimen is separate.
Report 11102 once when tangential sampling is the highest-valued biopsy technique used in the session; report 11103 for each additional separate tangential lesion. If a punch or incisional biopsy is also performed, report the appropriate higher-valued primary biopsy code and 11103 for the tangential lesion. Document each lesion's site, sampling technique, and diagnostic intent. The 0-day global includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care; a separately identifiable E/M service requires modifier 25 on the E/M code. With multiple procedures, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, 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 11102 pays more and less
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
109 payment localities
$84.38 to $128.84
109 of 109 payment localities
11102 rates by state
Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.
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Local rates. Clear comparisons.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
$84.38
$115.37
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View every state and territory as a table
| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $110.00 | 1 |
| AL | $85.64 | 1 |
| AR | $84.38 | 1 |
| AZ | $93.00 | 1 |
| CA | $101.89–$128.84 | 29 |
| CO | $99.96 | 1 |
| CT | $101.93 | 1 |
| DC | $109.75 | 1 |
| DE | $94.57 | 1 |
| FL | $93.36–$101.55 | 3 |
| GA | $88.12–$97.15 | 2 |
| GU | $104.57 | 1 |
| HI | $104.57 | 1 |
| IA | $88.19 | 1 |
| ID | $88.70 | 1 |
| IL | $90.38–$99.17 | 4 |
| IN | $89.23 | 1 |
| KS | $87.61 | 1 |
| KY | $87.35 | 1 |
| LA | $87.15–$91.54 | 2 |
| MA | $99.29–$110.18 | 2 |
| MD | $96.44–$109.75 | 3 |
| ME | $89.00–$94.14 | 2 |
| MI | $89.51–$94.38 | 2 |
| MN | $96.21 | 1 |
| MO | $85.52–$92.07 | 3 |
| MS | $84.98 | 1 |
| MT | $95.52 | 1 |
| NC | $89.97 | 1 |
| ND | $94.34 | 1 |
| NE | $88.72 | 1 |
| NH | $98.23 | 1 |
| NJ | $103.21–$108.55 | 2 |
| NM | $89.94 | 1 |
| NV | $95.26 | 1 |
| NY | $91.32–$112.25 | 5 |
| OH | $89.27 | 1 |
| OK | $87.36 | 1 |
| OR | $94.64–$103.36 | 2 |
| PA | $89.50–$99.26 | 2 |
| PR | $96.29 | 1 |
| RI | $98.10 | 1 |
| SC | $89.74 | 1 |
| SD | $94.20 | 1 |
| TN | $88.03 | 1 |
| TX | $88.89–$99.53 | 8 |
| UT | $90.99 | 1 |
| VA | $93.71–$109.75 | 2 |
| VI | $96.29 | 1 |
| VT | $93.82 | 1 |
| WA | $99.15–$112.61 | 2 |
| WI | $91.11 | 1 |
| WV | $86.94 | 1 |
| WY | $95.01 | 1 |
How the 11102 rate is calculated
Each of 11102’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 · 11102
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.64Practice expense 2.16Malpractice 0.06
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 11102
The CMS indicators that decide how 11102 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 11102
Tangential skin biopsy
| 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
11102 without 51 · national office
$95.53
Tangential skin biopsy
11102-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$47.77
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%).
11102 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
11102 vs 11104 vs 11106 vs 11300 vs 11103: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 11104Punch biopsy
- 11104 takes a cylindrical sample with a punch instrument; 11102 samples tangentially with a blade, scoop, or curette. If both are performed on separate lesions, report 11104 with 11103.
- 11106Skin biopsy
- 11106 takes an incisional, full-thickness sample, often closed with sutures; 11102 takes a tangential sample by shaving, scooping, or curettage.
- 11300Shave removal
- 11300 reports intended shave removal of a trunk, arm, or leg lesion measuring 0.5 cm or less; 11102 reports tangential sampling for diagnosis.
- 11103Tangential skin biopsy
- 11103 is the add-on for each additional tangentially biopsied lesion. Report 11102 once for the first lesion only when tangential sampling is the highest-valued biopsy technique used.
11102 billing questions
How are several tangential biopsies at one visit reported?
Report 11102 once for the first lesion and 11103 for each additional separate lesion biopsied tangentially, with units equal to the number of additional lesions. This applies when no higher-valued biopsy technique is used in the session.
What if a tangential biopsy and a punch biopsy are done on different lesions in the same session?
Report 11104 as the primary code for the punch biopsy and 11103 for the tangential biopsy. Do not report 11102 alongside 11104 or 11106 for biopsies in the same session.
How do I choose between 11102 and a shave removal code?
Use 11102 when the goal is to obtain tissue for diagnosis. Shave removal codes in the 11300 series apply when the intent is to remove the lesion and are selected by anatomic site and lesion diameter.
Can an office visit be billed on the same day?
Yes, if significant, separately identifiable evaluation beyond the usual pre-biopsy assessment is documented; append modifier 25 to the E/M code. The decision to biopsy alone does not support a separate visit.
Is the pathology reading included?
No. The histopathology examination is billed separately by the pathologist or dermatopathologist, typically with 88305.
Is closure of the biopsy site separately billable?
No. Hemostasis, simple closure, and dressing when performed are included in the tangential biopsy service.
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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