Billing code 11310: Shave removalMedicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Reports tangential removal of a skin lesion measuring 0.5 cm or less on the face and specified adjacent sites, such as the nose or lips.
Medicare pays $105.64–$115.79 for 11310 in the office in Illinois, from Rest Of Illinois to Suburban Chicago. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 9 sections
What 11310 covers
A clinician removes a small skin lesion by shaving it tangentially from the epidermal or dermal surface. This code is for lesions on the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mucous membrane, including a raised lesion such as a seborrheic keratosis or nevus. Dermatologists commonly perform the service in an office; other qualified clinicians may perform it in office or facility settings. Tissue may be sent for histopathology when indicated.
Select the code using the lesion’s documented size and anatomic site; this code is for a lesion measuring 0.5 cm or less at one of the specified sites. Record the exact site, lesion measurement, and removal technique. 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% multiple-procedure 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 11310 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
4 payment localities
$105.64 to $115.79
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $115.19 | $39.66 |
| East St. Louis | $107.28 | $38.14 |
| Rest Of Illinois | $105.64 | $37.03 |
| Suburban Chicago | $115.79 | $38.61 |
How the 11310 rate is calculated
Each of 11310’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 · 11310
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.78Practice expense 2.49Malpractice 0.07
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 11310
The CMS indicators that decide how 11310 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 11310
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
11310 without 51 · national office
$111.56
Shave removal
11310-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$55.78
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%).
11310 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
11310 vs 11300 vs 11305 vs 11311 vs 11440: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 11300Shave removal
- Both cover shave removal of a lesion 0.5 cm or less; 11300 is for the trunk, arms, or legs, while 11310 is for specified facial and adjacent sites.
- 11305Shave removal
- Both cover shave removal of a lesion 0.5 cm or less. 11305 applies to the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia rather than the sites assigned to 11310.
- 11311Shave removal
- 11311 applies to lesions measuring 0.6 to 1.0 cm at the sites covered by 11310; 11310 is for lesions 0.5 cm or less.
- 11440Lesion excision
- 11440 reports excision of a small benign lesion at facial sites, whereas 11310 reports tangential shave removal. The removal method and depth distinguish the services.
11310 billing questions
How does this differ from 11300 or 11305?
Those codes cover the same small size range at different anatomic sites. Use 11310 for the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mucous membrane.
When should 11311 be used instead?
Use 11311 for a shave-removed lesion at the same specified sites when it measures 0.6 to 1.0 cm. The size documented for the lesion determines the size level.
Is a shave removal the same as a tangential skin biopsy?
No. 11310 reports removal of a small lesion; 11102 is the tangential biopsy code when the service is a biopsy of a single lesion.
How should multiple lesions removed in one session be reported?
Document each lesion’s site and size and report the services separately as appropriate. The CMS multiple-procedure reduction applies when procedures are performed in the same session.
Does the 0-day global period include a later pathology visit?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. It does not define a later pathology-related service as part of the same-day care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code under the CMS facts provided.
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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