Billing code 17282: Lesion destructionMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah

Destruction of a malignant skin lesion measuring 1.1–2.0 cm on the face, ear, eyelid, nose, lip, or mucous membrane.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 20261 payment locality60.5K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $192.19 for 17282 in the office in Utah (Utah). Which amount applies depends on the service address.

$192.19Office (non-facility)
$110.87Hospital or facility

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

We’ll open 17282 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 9 sections
  1. Rate in Utah
  2. What 17282 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. How it’s calculated
  5. Payment rules
  6. Similar codes
  7. Related codes
  8. Billing questions
  9. Sources

What 17282 covers

This service covers destruction of a malignant lesion in the specified size range at the face, ear, eyelid, nose, lip, or mucous membrane. A dermatologist or other qualified physician may use electrosurgery, cryosurgery, laser, or another destructive technique for a selected basal or squamous cell carcinoma. The procedure is commonly performed in an office, though facility settings also occur.

Select the code using the lesion’s diameter and anatomic site; document the diagnosis, measured size, location, and method. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay for an assistant at surgery, and 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.

17282 in Utah

17282 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Utah$192.19$110.87

How the 17282 rate is calculated

Each of 17282’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 · 17282

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 2.04Practice expense 3.76Malpractice 0.20

6.0000 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$200.41

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 17282

17282 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 17282

Lesion destruction

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period010Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.80/0.10Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 17282

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.

SurgeryVisit
Sep 28, 2026Oct 14, 2026

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

17282 without 51 · national office

$200.41

Lesion destruction

17282-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$100.21

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%).

When to use modifier 51

17282 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

17282 vs 17281 vs 17283 vs 17272 vs 11642: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 17282
    Lesion destruction · 2.04 wRVU
    $200.41
  • 17281
    Lesion destruction · 1.73 wRVU
    $175.35−$25.06
  • 17283
    Lesion destruction · 2.62 wRVU
    $237.48+$37.07
  • 17272
    Lesion destruction · 1.77 wRVU
    $183.37−$17.04
  • 11642
    Skin lesion excision · 2.55 wRVU
    $266.87+$66.46

How to choose

17281Lesion destruction
Use 17281 for malignant lesion destruction at the same sites when the lesion falls in the smaller adjacent size range; 17282 is for 1.1–2.0 cm.
17283Lesion destruction
Use 17283 for a lesion in the next larger size range at the same sites. The method and anatomic group are otherwise similar.
17272Lesion destruction
17272 covers malignant lesion destruction in the 1.1–2.0 cm range on the trunk, arms, or legs; 17282 is for the face and related sites.
11642Skin lesion excision
11642 describes excision of a malignant lesion at these sites and within this size range. Choose it when the lesion is excised rather than destroyed.

17282 billing questions

How is this code distinguished from 17281 and 17283?

All three cover malignant lesion destruction at the same anatomic sites. Choose 17282 for a lesion measuring 1.1–2.0 cm; 17281 and 17283 represent the smaller and larger adjacent size ranges.

When should 17272 be used instead?

17272 is for a lesion in the 1.1–2.0 cm range on the trunk, arms, or legs. Use 17282 for the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mucous membrane.

What documentation supports reporting 17282?

Document the malignant diagnosis, exact site, lesion diameter, and destructive method. The recorded size and site should support the code’s size range and anatomic group.

Are postoperative visits separately reported during the global period?

Related postoperative visits for 10 days are included in the procedure’s global period.

Can modifier 50 be used for lesions on both sides?

No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, while other procedures in the session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.

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
RVUs for 17282PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 1,642 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for UtahGPCI2026.csv, line 104 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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