Billing code 17260: Skin lesion destructionMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Destruction of a malignant skin lesion measuring 0.5 cm or less on the trunk, arms, or legs, selected by lesion size and anatomic site.
Medicare pays $91.02–$100.26 for 17260 in the office in Texas, from Beaumont to Austin. 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 17260 covers
Code 17260 covers destruction of a malignant skin lesion on the trunk, an arm, or a leg when the lesion measures 0.5 cm or less. Methods may include electrosurgery, cryosurgery, laser treatment, chemical destruction, or surgical curettement. Dermatologists and other clinicians who treat skin cancers commonly perform the service in an office or outpatient facility. The code represents treatment of the lesion, rather than removal by an excision technique.
Select the code using the lesion’s anatomic group and measured diameter, not the destruction method. Document the malignant diagnosis, exact site, lesion measurement, method, and each lesion treated. Report the appropriate code for each treated lesion. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and reduces payment for the others by 50%. The 10-day global period includes related postoperative visits during that period. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; assistant-at-surgery services are not paid, and co-surgeon and team-surgery payment 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 17260 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 payment localities
$91.02 to $100.26
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $100.26 | $60.33 |
| Beaumont | $91.02 | $56.68 |
| Brazoria | $95.96 | $58.56 |
| Dallas | $96.51 | $58.92 |
| Fort Worth | $95.92 | $58.71 |
| Galveston | $96.21 | $58.74 |
| Houston | $97.68 | $60.20 |
| Rest Of Texas | $93.40 | $57.58 |
How the 17260 rate is calculated
Each of 17260’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 · 17260
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.94
0.94 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.88
1.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.08
0.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
2.9000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$96.86
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 17260
17260 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 17260
Skin 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 · 17260
Skin 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
17260 without 51 · national office
$96.86
Skin lesion destruction
17260-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$48.43
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%).
17260 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 17261Malignant lesion destruction
- Both codes cover the trunk, arms, or legs, but 17261 is for a lesion measuring 0.6 to 1.0 cm; 17260 is for 0.5 cm or less.
- 17270Lesion destruction
- This code covers the smallest size level on the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia. Use 17260 for the same size level on the trunk, arms, or legs.
- 17280Lesion destruction
- This code covers the smallest size level on the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mucous membrane. Use 17260 for the trunk, arms, or legs.
17260 billing questions
When should 17260 be used instead of 17261?
Use 17260 for a malignant lesion on the trunk, arm, or leg measuring 0.5 cm or less. Code 17261 is for the same anatomic group when the lesion is larger.
Does the destruction method change the code?
No. The code selection depends on the lesion’s site and diameter; qualifying methods include electrosurgery, cryosurgery, laser treatment, chemical destruction, and surgical curettement.
How should multiple lesions treated in one session be reported?
Select the size- and site-appropriate code for each lesion treated. Medicare’s multiple-procedure reduction applies when multiple procedures are performed in the same session.
Should modifier 50 be appended for lesions on both sides?
No. The bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What postoperative care is included?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure payment.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be billed?
Assistant-at-surgery services are not paid for this code. Co-surgeon and team-surgery payment 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 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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