$172.30–$189.66
Both cover destruction at the same anatomic sites; choose 17272 when the lesion measures 1.1 to 2.0 cm rather than 2.1 to 3.0 cm.
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CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
17273 Lesion destruction Medicare reimbursement rates in Texas
Reports destruction of a malignant skin lesion measuring 2.1 to 3.0 cm on the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia. Compare 17273 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Texas.
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 17273 in Texas?
Texas has 8 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 8 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$192.00–$210.93
8 of 8 localities have a supported rate.
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.
Where 17273 pays more and less in Texas
8 payment localities
$192.00 to $210.93
Dermatology procedure
About 17273: Malignant skin lesion destruction, 2.1 to 3.0 cm
Reports destruction of a malignant skin lesion measuring 2.1 to 3.0 cm on the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia.
This code covers destruction of a malignant skin lesion measuring 2.1 to 3.0 cm on the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia. A dermatologist or other qualified clinician may use a destructive method such as electrosurgery, cryosurgery, laser treatment, or chemical treatment, commonly in an office setting. The code is selected by the lesion’s site and diameter, not by the treatment method. It is for destruction rather than excision of the lesion.
Document the malignant diagnosis, exact anatomic site, measured lesion diameter, and method used. Report the code for each qualifying lesion. CMS assigns a 10-day global period, so related postoperative visits during that period are included. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code’s descriptor and anatomy. Assistant-at-surgery services are not paid; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 17273
- 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 RVU2.05 · 34%
- Practice expense (office) RVU3.86 · 63%
- Malpractice RVU0.20 · 3%
13.3K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1327 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.
17273 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Texas, from the same CMS release.
$225.51–$246.78
Both cover destruction at the same anatomic sites; choose 17274 when the lesion measures 3.1 to 4.0 cm.
$176.92–$194.92
This code covers a lesion of the same size range on the trunk, arms, or legs. Code 17273 is for the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia.
$224.14–$244.92
This code covers a lesion of the same size range on the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mucous membranes; 17273 covers a different site group.
Compare 17273 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.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Office $210.93 | Facility $116.23 |
| Beaumont | Office $192.00 | Facility $110.54 |
| Brazoria | Office $202.00 | Facility $113.29 |
| Dallas | Office $203.23 | Facility $114.08 |
| Fort Worth | Office $202.03 | Facility $113.77 |
| Galveston | Office $202.58 | Facility $113.69 |
| Houston | Office $206.24 | Facility $117.35 |
| Rest Of Texas | Office $196.86 | Facility $111.91 |
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17273 billing questions
How is 17273 distinguished from 17272 or 17274?
Use 17273 for a lesion measuring 2.1 to 3.0 cm at the specified sites. The adjacent codes represent smaller and larger size ranges.
Which anatomic sites qualify?
The site group is scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia. Lesions on other anatomic groups use the code family assigned to those sites.
Does the destruction method change code selection?
No. The method may be electrosurgery, cryosurgery, laser, or chemical treatment; selection depends on site and lesion diameter.
What should the record support?
Document the malignant diagnosis, site, lesion diameter, and destructive method. The measurement should support the 2.1-to-3.0-cm range.
Are related postoperative visits separately reported?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure payment.
Can modifier 50 or an assistant surgeon be reported?
Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code’s descriptor and anatomy. CMS does not pay assistant-at-surgery services for this procedure.
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.
1,63417270,,Dstr mal les s/n/h/f/g .5 /<,A,,1.34,2.93,,0.96,,0.13,4.40,2.43,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,63517271,,Dstr mal les s/n/h/f/g 0.6-1,A,,1.50,3.21,,1.02,,0.15,4.86,2.67,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,63617272,,Dstr mal les s/n/h/f/g 1.1-2,A,,1.77,3.54,,1.09,,0.18,5.49,3.04,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,63717273,,Dstr mal les s/n/h/f/g 2.1-3,A,,2.05,3.86,,1.18,,0.20,6.11,3.43,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,63817274,,Dstr mal les s/n/h/f/g 3.1-4,A,,2.57,4.34,,1.34,,0.25,7.16,4.16,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,63917276,,Dstr mal les s/n/h/f/g >4.0,A,,3.17,4.85,,1.51,,0.34,8.36,5.02,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,64017280,,Dstr mal ls f/e/e/n/l/m .5/<,A,,1.19,2.83,,0.92,,0.12,4.14,2.23,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00