Billing code 46900: Anal lesion destructionMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $268.54 for 46900 nationally in the office and $132.27 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $236.45–$358.75.

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

What 46900 covers

This code covers destruction of simple lesions on the anus, including lesions such as condyloma, papilloma, or molluscum contagiosum. A colorectal or general surgeon commonly performs the service in an office or outpatient setting. The treatment destroys the lesion rather than removing it as a specimen for excisional pathology. The distinction from more extensive treatment and from technique-specific procedures is central to code selection.

Document the lesion location, number and extent, the destruction performed, and why the service meets the simple-lesion level. Report the code for the session’s service rather than treating each lesion as a separate unit. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this anal-site service. 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.

Where 46900 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

46900 rates by state

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

How the 46900 rate is calculated

Each of 46900’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 46900

46900 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

46900 compared with similar codes

How to choose

46910Anal lesion destruction

46900 is for simple anal lesion destruction; 46910 is the more extensive level. The documented scope of treatment supports the distinction.

46916Anal lesion treatment

46916 identifies cryosurgery for anal lesions. Use 46900 when the service is simple destruction not represented by that technique-specific code.

46917Anal lesion laser

46917 identifies laser surgery for anal lesions. Use 46900 for simple destruction performed by another method.

46922Anal lesion excision

46922 is for excision, in which lesion tissue is removed. Use 46900 when the lesion is destroyed rather than excised.

Codes related to 46900

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