Billing code 41017: Lesion drainageMedicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Reports intraoral incision and drainage of an abscess, cyst, or hematoma located in the floor of the mouth beneath the tongue.
Medicare pays $494.60–$545.40 for 41017 in the office in Massachusetts, from Rest Of Massachusetts to Metropolitan Boston. 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 41017 covers
This procedure drains an abscess, cyst, or hematoma in the floor of the mouth through an incision made from inside the oral cavity. The target is the tissue beneath the tongue, rather than a lesion in the tongue itself or the cheek-side vestibule. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons and otolaryngologists may perform it, commonly in a surgical setting; the operative note should identify the floor-of-mouth location and describe the intraoral approach and drainage performed.
Select this code based on both the lesion’s anatomic site and the route used. The record should support that the treated lesion was in the floor of the mouth and accessed intraorally. Medicare treats the service as major surgery with a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery is paid only when medical necessity is documented; 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 41017 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston | $545.40 | $357.17 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | $494.60 | $328.59 |
How the 41017 rate is calculated
Each of 41017’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 · 41017
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work4.09
4.09 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense9.70
9.70 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.55
0.55 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
14.3400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$478.97
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 41017
41017 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 41017
Lesion drainage
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment 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. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.09/0.81/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 41017
Lesion drainage
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
41017 without 51 · national office
$478.97
Lesion drainage
41017-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$239.49
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%).
41017 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 41018Abscess drainage
- Use 41017 for an intraoral route to a floor-of-mouth lesion; 41018 describes the extraoral route to that region.
- 41015Mouth lesion drainage
- 41015 is for intraoral drainage of a tongue lesion. A lesion beneath the tongue in the floor of the mouth supports 41017 instead.
- 41005Oral drainage
- 41005 is for intraoral drainage in the vestibule of the mouth, not the floor of the mouth beneath the tongue.
41017 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 41018?
Both concern drainage in the floor-of-mouth region, but 41017 is for an intraoral approach and 41018 is for an extraoral approach. Document the route used to reach the lesion.
When would 41016 be a closer code?
41016 concerns drainage of a lesion of the tongue by an extraoral approach. Use 41017 for a floor-of-mouth lesion reached from inside the mouth.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. The anatomy and descriptor make modifier 50 inappropriate for this service.
What documentation supports reporting 41017?
Document the lesion’s floor-of-mouth location, the intraoral route, and the drainage performed. A general reference to a mouth abscess without site and approach detail may not establish the code selection.
How does Medicare handle other procedures performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction are paid at 50%.
Can an assistant surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.
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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