CPT code 11312: Shave removal2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $150.64 for 11312 nationally in the office and $60.46 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $133.89–$199.20.

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

What 11312 covers

CPT 11312 represents tangential removal of an epidermal or dermal lesion on the face, ear, eyelid, nose, or lip, without removing the lesion through the full thickness of the skin. Dermatologists and other clinicians who perform skin procedures may use it for a raised lesion requiring removal for treatment or evaluation. Local anesthesia is part of the shave service; a specimen may also be submitted for separate pathology examination.

Select this code by the lesion’s site and measured diameter, and document the location, size, technique, and clinical reason for removal. Report each separate lesion according to its own site and size. 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 multiple procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented 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 11312 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

11312 rates by state

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

How the 11312 rate is calculated

Each of 11312’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 11312

The CMS indicators that decide how 11312 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

11312 compared with similar codes

How to choose

11311Shave removal

Both codes cover the same facial site group and shave technique. Choose 11312 for a lesion measuring 1.1-2.0 cm and 11311 for one measuring 0.6-1.0 cm.

11307Shave removal

This code covers the 1.1-2.0 cm range for scalp, neck, hand, foot, or external genitalia lesions. Use 11312 when the lesion is on the face, ear, eyelid, nose, or lip.

11442Facial lesion excision

Code 11442 describes full-thickness excision of a benign facial lesion in this size range. Code 11312 is for tangential shave removal of epidermal or dermal tissue.

11102Tangential skin biopsy

Use 11102 for tangential biopsy when the purpose is to sample a lesion for diagnosis. Use 11312 when the service removes the lesion by shaving.

Codes related to 11312

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

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