$61.47
17000 is reported once for the first premalignant lesion. 17003 is the add-on counted per lesion for lesions two through fourteen and cannot stand alone.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
17003 Actinic keratosis destruction Medicare reimbursement rates in Tennessee
Report this add-on once per additional premalignant skin lesion, typically an actinic keratosis, when two through fourteen are destroyed in one session. Compare 17003 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Tennessee.
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 17003 in Tennessee?
Tennessee 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
$5.89
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Tennessee
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$1.64
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Tennessee
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 17003: Destruction of premalignant lesions, second through fourteenth
Report this add-on once per additional premalignant skin lesion, typically an actinic keratosis, when two through fourteen are destroyed in one session.
This code captures destruction of additional premalignant skin lesions, most commonly actinic keratoses, after the first lesion has been treated in the same session. Dermatologists, primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants usually perform it in the office. Liquid nitrogen cryosurgery is the typical method, though curettage, electrosurgery, chemical destruction, and laser also qualify. Patients with sun-damaged skin on the face, scalp, ears, forearms, and backs of the hands often have several lesions treated at one visit, which is why this is among the highest-volume codes Medicare pays.
Report the first lesion with 17000, then report one unit of 17003 for each additional premalignant lesion from the second through the fourteenth, for a maximum of 13 units. When 15 or more premalignant lesions are treated, use 17004 alone instead of 17000 and 17003. Documentation should state the lesion count, anatomic locations, clinical diagnosis, and destruction method. CMS designates 17003 as an add-on code: it is billed only with its primary procedure and paid within that procedure's global period.
CMS billing rules for 17003
- Global period
- Add-on code: billed only together with a primary procedure and paid within that procedure's global period.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.04 · 21%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.15 · 79%
- Malpractice RVU0.00 · 0%
19.9M
Medicare services in 2024 · #10 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.
17003 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Tennessee, from the same CMS release.
$150.01
When the session total reaches 15 or more premalignant lesions, report 17004 as a single unit instead of 17000 and 17003.
$102.30
17110 is for up to 14 benign lesions such as common warts or molluscum, reported as one unit. 17003 is limited to additional premalignant lesions such as actinic keratoses and is counted per lesion.
Compare 17003 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
Tennessee →
Office / nonfacility
$5.89
Facility
$1.64
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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 17003 in Tennessee.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
1,620
- Code
- 17003
- Physician work
- 0.04
- Practice expense
- 0.15
- Malpractice
- 0.00
GPCI2026.csv
95
- Locality
- Tennessee
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.909
- Malpractice
- 0.537
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.04 | × 1.000 | 0.0400 |
| Practice expense | 0.15 | × 0.909 | 0.1363 |
| Malpractice | 0.00 | × 0.537 | 0.0000 |
| Total RVUs | 0.1764 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Tennessee$5.89
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.04 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 0.15 | 0.909 |
| Malpractice | 0 | 0.537 |
(0.04 × 1 + 0.15 × 0.909 + 0 × 0.537) × $33.4009 = $5.89
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.04 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 0.01 | 0.909 |
| Malpractice | 0 | 0.537 |
(0.04 × 1 + 0.01 × 0.909 + 0 × 0.537) × $33.4009 = $1.64
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.
17003 billing questions
How many units of 17003 can be reported?
Report one unit per premalignant lesion from the second through the fourteenth, or 1 to 13 units alongside one unit of 17000. Treating 15 or more premalignant lesions shifts reporting to 17004 alone.
Can 17003 be reported with 17004?
No. When 15 or more premalignant lesions are destroyed in a session, 17004 covers the entire count and replaces both 17000 and 17003.
Is 17003 billable without 17000?
No. It is an add-on reported with 17000 for the first premalignant lesion treated in the same session.
Can an E/M visit be billed on the same day as 17000 and 17003?
Yes, if documentation supports a significant, separately identifiable E/M service beyond the usual evaluation and decision to destroy the lesions. Append modifier 25 to the E/M code; a different diagnosis is not required.
Does 17003 apply to warts or seborrheic keratoses?
No. It covers premalignant lesions such as actinic keratoses. Destruction of benign lesions such as warts or seborrheic keratoses is reported with 17110 or 17111 according to the benign lesion count.
What documentation supports the unit count?
The note should list the number of lesions treated, their body sites, the premalignant diagnosis, and the destruction method used, so the units tie directly to the record.
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.
1,61716035,,Escharotomy 1st incision,A,,3.65,1.05,NA,1.05,,0.65,5.35,5.35,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,61816036,,Escharotomy ea addl incision,A,,1.46,0.38,NA,0.38,,0.36,2.20,2.20,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,61917000,,Destruct premalg lesion,A,,0.59,1.34,,0.78,,0.06,1.99,1.43,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,62017003,,Destruct premalg les 2-14,A,,0.04,0.15,,0.01,,0.00,0.19,0.05,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,62117004,,Destroy premal lesions 15/>,A,,1.34,3.39,,1.01,,0.13,4.86,2.48,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,62217106,,Dstr cut vsc prlf les<10sqcm,A,,3.60,6.22,,3.15,,0.42,10.24,7.17,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,62317107,,Dstr cut vsc prlf les10-50sq,A,,4.67,8.10,,4.09,,0.49,13.26,9.25,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9214412,RI,01,RHODE ISLAND,1.019,1.033,0.892
9311202,SC,01,SOUTH CAROLINA,1.000,0.924,0.850
9403402,SD,02,SOUTH DAKOTA**,1.000,1.000,0.336
9510312,TN,35,TENNESSEE,1.000,0.909,0.537
9604412,TX,31,AUSTIN,1.002,1.058,0.886
9704412,TX,20,BEAUMONT,1.000,0.910,0.929
9804412,TX,09,BRAZORIA,1.008,0.991,0.780