Billing code 17110: Benign lesion destructionMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Destruction of one to 14 benign skin lesions, such as common or plantar warts and molluscum, by cryotherapy, electrosurgery, chemical treatment, laser, or curettage.
Medicare pays $110.19–$120.56 for 17110 in the office in Oregon, from Rest Of Oregon to Portland. 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 17110 covers
This service covers destroying benign skin lesions other than skin tags and cutaneous vascular proliferative lesions. Typical targets include common warts (verruca vulgaris), plantar warts, flat warts, and molluscum contagiosum. The lesions are destroyed rather than excised, most often with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy, but also with electrodesiccation, chemical agents such as cantharidin, laser, or curettage. Dermatologists, podiatrists, family physicians, pediatricians, and advanced practice providers perform it, predominantly in the office setting.
Report one unit for any count from 1 through 14 lesions treated in the session, regardless of how many anatomic sites are involved; at 15 or more, report 17111 instead. Documentation should state the lesion type, locations, total number treated, and destruction method. The code has a 10-day global period, so related postoperative visits are included. When performed with other procedures in the same session, the standard multiple procedure reduction applies: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate because lesions on both sides are counted together. Assistant-at-surgery services are not paid; co-surgeon and team surgery arrangements 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 17110 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | $120.56 | $66.38 |
| Rest Of Oregon | $110.19 | $61.62 |
How the 17110 rate is calculated
Each of 17110’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 · 17110
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.68Practice expense 2.58Malpractice 0.07
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 17110
17110 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 17110
Benign lesion destruction
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| 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) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 17110
Benign lesion destruction
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
17110 without 51 · national office
$111.22
Benign lesion destruction
17110-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$55.61
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%).
17110 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
17110 vs 17111 vs 17000 vs 11200 vs 17106: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 17111Lesion destruction
- Count the total benign lesions destroyed in the session: 1 to 14 uses 17110, while 15 or more uses 17111. Report only one of the two.
- 17000Premalignant lesion destruction
- 17000 and related codes are for premalignant lesions such as actinic keratoses; 17110 is for benign lesions such as warts and molluscum.
- 11200Skin tag removal
- Skin tags are excluded from 17110 and are reported with 11200 for up to 15 tags, regardless of removal method.
- 17106Vascular lesion destruction
- Cutaneous vascular proliferative lesions such as port-wine stains are reported by treated area with 17106-17108, not by lesion count with 17110.
17110 billing questions
How many units are reported for eight warts treated on both hands?
One unit. The code covers 1 through 14 lesions per session, and lesions on different sites or sides are counted together rather than reported separately or with modifier 50.
When should 17111 be used instead?
Use 17111 when 15 or more benign lesions are destroyed in the session. It replaces this code rather than being added to it, so do not report both for the same session.
Can an office visit be billed on the same day?
Only when a significant, separately identifiable E/M service is documented beyond the decision to treat the lesions, reported with modifier 25. Routine assessment of the warts being treated is part of the procedure.
Are repeat cryotherapy sessions within 10 days billable?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. A separately performed repeat destruction needs documentation supporting its circumstances; modifier 58 may fit planned staged treatment, while modifier 79 is reserved for an unrelated procedure.
Should actinic keratoses be reported with this code?
No. Actinic keratoses are premalignant lesions reported with 17000, 17003, or 17004 according to the lesion count. This code is for benign lesions.
Is destruction of genital warts reported here?
Penile and vulvar warts have site-specific destruction codes, including 54050-54065 and 56501-56515; anal warts have codes in the 46900-46924 series. Select the code by site and treatment method.
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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