CPT 17003: Actinic keratosis destructionMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $6.35 for 17003 nationally in the office and $1.67 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $5.64–$8.71.

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

What 17003 covers

This code captures destruction of additional premalignant skin lesions, most commonly actinic keratoses, after the first lesion has been treated in the same session. Dermatologists, primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants usually perform it in the office. Liquid nitrogen cryosurgery is the typical method, though curettage, electrosurgery, chemical destruction, and laser also qualify. Patients with sun-damaged skin on the face, scalp, ears, forearms, and backs of the hands often have several lesions treated at one visit, which is why this is among the highest-volume codes Medicare pays.

Report the first lesion with 17000, then report one unit of 17003 for each additional premalignant lesion from the second through the fourteenth, for a maximum of 13 units. When 15 or more premalignant lesions are treated, use 17004 alone instead of 17000 and 17003. Documentation should state the lesion count, anatomic locations, clinical diagnosis, and destruction method. CMS designates 17003 as an add-on code: it is billed only with its primary procedure and paid within that procedure's global period.

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 17003 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

17003 rates by state

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

How the 17003 rate is calculated

Each of 17003’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 17003

The CMS indicators that decide how 17003 is paid alongside other services.

17003 compared with similar codes

How to choose

17000Premalignant lesion destruction

17000 is reported once for the first premalignant lesion. 17003 is the add-on counted per lesion for lesions two through fourteen and cannot stand alone.

17004Premalignant lesion destruction

When the session total reaches 15 or more premalignant lesions, report 17004 as a single unit instead of 17000 and 17003.

17110Benign lesion destruction

17110 is for up to 14 benign lesions such as common warts or molluscum, reported as one unit. 17003 is limited to additional premalignant lesions such as actinic keratoses and is counted per lesion.

Codes related to 17003

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