Billing code 11303: Shave removalMedicare rate & RVUs
Report this code when a clinician tangentially removes a skin lesion larger than 2 cm from the trunk, an arm, or a leg.
Medicare pays $147.30 for 11303 nationally in the office and $57.78 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $130.78–$194.94.
Medicare rate · 11303
Shave removal
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
- Work RVUs
- 1.22
- Total RVUs
- 4.41
- Global days
- 000
National rate · 2026
$147.30
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 11303 → · 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 11303 covers
This service removes a superficial epidermal or dermal lesion by shaving across its surface rather than cutting out a full-thickness section of skin. Dermatologists and other clinicians may perform it in an office or facility for a raised lesion on the trunk, arm, or leg that is symptomatic, repeatedly irritated, or needs diagnostic evaluation. A specimen may be sent for pathology when indicated.
Select the code by the lesion’s body region and measured diameter; this code is for a lesion over 2 cm on the trunk, arms, or legs. Document the site, size, removal method, and reason for treatment, and identify separately treated lesions. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. 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 documentation of medical necessity; 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 11303 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
$130.78 to $194.94
109 of 109 payment localities
11303 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.
$130.78
$175.37
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 | $172.37 | 1 |
| AL | $132.64 | 1 |
| AR | $130.78 | 1 |
| AZ | $143.50 | 1 |
| CA | $155.79–$194.94 | 29 |
| CO | $153.38 | 1 |
| CT | $156.89 | 1 |
| DC | $168.18 | 1 |
| DE | $145.84 | 1 |
| FL | $144.98–$158.13 | 3 |
| GA | $137.09–$149.93 | 2 |
| GU | $159.47 | 1 |
| HI | $159.47 | 1 |
| IA | $135.99 | 1 |
| ID | $136.83 | 1 |
| IL | $140.85–$153.72 | 4 |
| IN | $137.61 | 1 |
| KS | $135.33 | 1 |
| KY | $135.58 | 1 |
| LA | $135.36–$141.86 | 2 |
| MA | $152.49–$168.32 | 2 |
| MD | $148.58–$168.18 | 3 |
| ME | $137.48–$144.78 | 2 |
| MI | $138.97–$146.70 | 2 |
| MN | $147.21 | 1 |
| MO | $133.08–$142.40 | 3 |
| MS | $131.96 | 1 |
| MT | $147.29 | 1 |
| NC | $138.88 | 1 |
| ND | $144.72 | 1 |
| NE | $136.73 | 1 |
| NH | $150.95 | 1 |
| NJ | $158.75–$166.51 | 2 |
| NM | $139.69 | 1 |
| NV | $146.68 | 1 |
| NY | $140.90–$172.94 | 5 |
| OH | $138.44 | 1 |
| OK | $135.39 | 1 |
| OR | $145.60–$158.18 | 2 |
| PA | $138.68–$153.06 | 2 |
| PR | $148.36 | 1 |
| RI | $150.98 | 1 |
| SC | $138.88 | 1 |
| SD | $144.41 | 1 |
| TN | $135.99 | 1 |
| TX | $137.79–$152.81 | 8 |
| UT | $140.72 | 1 |
| VA | $144.28–$168.18 | 2 |
| VI | $148.36 | 1 |
| VT | $144.13 | 1 |
| WA | $152.21–$171.74 | 2 |
| WI | $140.00 | 1 |
| WV | $135.78 | 1 |
| WY | $146.17 | 1 |
How the 11303 rate is calculated
Each of 11303’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 · 11303
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.22Practice expense 3.06Malpractice 0.13
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 11303
The CMS indicators that decide how 11303 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 11303
Shave removal
| 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
11303 without 51 · national office
$147.30
Shave removal
11303-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$73.65
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%).
11303 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
11303 vs 11302 vs 11308 vs 11313 vs 11403: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 11302Shave removal
- Use 11302 for a trunk, arm, or leg lesion measuring 1.1–2.0 cm; this code is for lesions over 2 cm.
- 11308Shave removal
- The size tier is the same, but 11308 is for the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia rather than the trunk, arms, or legs.
- 11313Shave removal
- The size tier is the same, but 11313 is for the face, ears, eyelids, nose, or lips.
- 11403Benign lesion excision
- Use 11403 for full-thickness excision of a benign lesion on the trunk, arms, or legs measuring 2.1–3.0 cm; this code describes tangential shave removal.
11303 billing questions
How does this code differ from 11302?
Both apply to the trunk, arms, or legs, but 11302 is for a lesion measuring 1.1–2.0 cm. Use this code when the lesion is larger than 2 cm.
Does this code describe a shave or an excision?
It describes superficial tangential removal by shaving. A procedure that cuts out a full-thickness section of skin is an excision, not a shave removal.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Record the lesion’s precise trunk, arm, or leg location, measured diameter, removal technique, and clinical reason for treatment. Document separately treated lesions individually.
Is same-day care included?
Yes. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the procedure.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to a 50% reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity.
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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