$159.86
Both cover benign lesions in the same facial site group. Select 11441 when the lesion diameter plus margins exceeds 0.5 cm and falls within its size range.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
11440 Lesion excision Medicare reimbursement rates in Iowa
Reports excision of a benign lesion on the face, ears, eyelids, nose, or lips when its diameter, including margins, is 0.5 cm or less. Compare 11440 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Iowa.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 11440 in Iowa?
Iowa has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$130.88
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Iowa
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$90.54
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Iowa
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Dermatology procedure
About 11440: Small benign facial lesion excision
Reports excision of a benign lesion on the face, ears, eyelids, nose, or lips when its diameter, including margins, is 0.5 cm or less.
This service removes a benign skin lesion from the face, ears, eyelids, nose, or lips, including the tissue margins needed for complete removal. Dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and other clinicians who perform skin procedures commonly remove small lesions such as benign facial growths in office or facility settings. The excised tissue may be sent for pathology. Simple closure is part of the excision service.
Choose the code using the lesion’s greatest diameter plus the margins removed, not the lesion alone; document the site, dimensions, benign diagnosis, and excision margins. Report separate lesions individually using the appropriate size and site code. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 11440
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 10-day global period: related postoperative visits for 10 days are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU1.02 · 24%
- Practice expense (office) RVU3.12 · 73%
- Malpractice RVU0.11 · 3%
20K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1149 by national volume
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.
11440 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Iowa, from the same CMS release.
$115.24
This code covers the same small size level for a different site group, such as the scalp, hands, feet, or genitalia; 11440 is for the face, ears, eyelids, nose, or lips.
$117.65
This code is for small benign lesions on the trunk or extremities. Use 11440 for the specified facial and related sites.
$186.37
The site and size range are similar, but 11640 is for excision of a malignant lesion; 11440 is for a benign lesion.
Compare 11440 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Iowa →
Office / nonfacility
$130.88
Facility
$90.54
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 11440 in Iowa.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
1,321
- Code
- 11440
- Physician work
- 1.02
- Practice expense
- 3.12
- Malpractice
- 0.11
GPCI2026.csv
53
- Locality
- Iowa
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.915
- Malpractice
- 0.397
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 1.02 | × 1.000 | 1.0200 |
| Practice expense | 3.12 | × 0.915 | 2.8548 |
| Malpractice | 0.11 | × 0.397 | 0.0437 |
| Total RVUs | 3.9185 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Iowa$130.88
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.02 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 3.12 | 0.915 |
| Malpractice | 0.11 | 0.397 |
(1.02 × 1 + 3.12 × 0.915 + 0.11 × 0.397) × $33.4009 = $130.88
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.02 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 1.8 | 0.915 |
| Malpractice | 0.11 | 0.397 |
(1.02 × 1 + 1.8 × 0.915 + 0.11 × 0.397) × $33.4009 = $90.54
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
11440 billing questions
How is the size level selected?
Use the greatest diameter of the lesion plus the margins removed. The combined measurement must be 0.5 cm or less for this code.
Can this code be used for a lesion on the trunk?
No. This code is for lesions on the face, ears, eyelids, nose, or lips. A benign lesion on the trunk or extremities falls in a different site group.
Is simple closure separately reported?
Simple closure is included in the excision service. A more involved repair may be separately reportable when supported by the work performed and applicable coding requirements.
Should modifier 50 be used for lesions on both sides of the face?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code. Report each distinct lesion using the code that matches its site and excised diameter.
Are postoperative visits included?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be billed?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
1,31811423,,Exc h-f-nk-sp b9+marg 2.1-3,A,,2.01,3.97,,2.02,,0.27,6.25,4.30,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,31911424,,Exc h-f-nk-sp b9+marg 3.1-4,A,,2.42,4.51,,2.15,,0.37,7.30,4.94,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,32011426,,Exc h-f-nk-sp b9+marg >4 cm,A,,3.99,5.55,,2.70,,0.64,10.18,7.33,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,32111440,,Exc face-mm b9+marg 0.5 cm/<,A,,1.02,3.12,,1.80,,0.11,4.25,2.93,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,32211441,,Exc face-mm b9+marg 0.6-1 cm,A,,1.49,3.52,,1.92,,0.19,5.20,3.60,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,32311442,,Exc face-mm b9+marg 1.1-2 cm,A,,1.73,3.86,,2.00,,0.22,5.81,3.95,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,32411443,,Exc face-mm b9+marg 2.1-3 cm,A,,2.28,4.31,,2.19,,0.30,6.89,4.77,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5006102,IL,15,SUBURBAN CHICAGO,1.007,1.027,1.772
5106102,IL,99,REST OF ILLINOIS,1.000,0.913,1.563
5208102,IN,00,INDIANA,1.000,0.927,0.486
5305102,IA,00,IOWA,1.000,0.915,0.397
5405202,KS,00,KANSAS,1.000,0.904,0.504
5515102,KY,00,KENTUCKY,1.000,0.889,0.915
5607202,LA,01,NEW ORLEANS,1.000,0.941,1.136