$232.62–$268.36
Use 17283 for a malignant lesion in the same anatomic group measuring 2.1–3.0 cm; 17284 covers 3.1–4.0 cm.
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CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
17284 Malignant lesion destruction Medicare reimbursement rates in Virginia
Destruction of a 3.1–4.0 cm malignant lesion on the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mucous membrane, selected by site and diameter. Compare 17284 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Virginia.
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 17284 in Virginia?
Virginia has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$265.98–$306.64
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
Facility setting
$161.24–$181.13
2 of 2 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.
Dermatology procedure
About 17284: Facial-area malignant lesion destruction
Destruction of a 3.1–4.0 cm malignant lesion on the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mucous membrane, selected by site and diameter.
CPT 17284 reports destruction of a malignant lesion on the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mucous membrane when its greatest diameter is 3.1 through 4.0 cm. Destruction may use methods such as electrosurgery, cryosurgery, laser, or chemical treatment. Dermatologists and other qualified clinicians commonly perform the procedure in an office setting, with less frequent facility use. This code describes destruction, rather than excision, of the lesion.
Select the code based on both the anatomic group and the lesion’s diameter. Documentation should identify the malignant diagnosis, precise site, measured diameter, and destruction method. The 10-day minor-procedure global period includes related postoperative visits during that period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 17284
- 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 RVU3.12 · 38%
- Practice expense (office) RVU4.69 · 58%
- Malpractice RVU0.33 · 4%
2K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2459 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.
17284 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Virginia, from the same CMS release.
$344.29–$395.61
Use 17286 for a lesion in the same anatomic group measuring over 4.0 cm; 17284 is for 3.1–4.0 cm.
$234.23–$270.53
Both codes cover malignant lesions measuring 3.1–4.0 cm, but 17274 is for the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia rather than the face and related sites.
$197.98–$229.60
Both codes cover malignant lesions measuring 3.1–4.0 cm, but 17264 is for the trunk, arms, or legs.
Compare 17284 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Dc + Md/Va Suburbs →
Office / nonfacility
$306.64
Facility
$181.13
Virginia →
Office / nonfacility
$265.98
Facility
$161.24
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17284 billing questions
How does 17284 differ from 17283 and 17286?
All three are for malignant lesions in the same anatomic group. Use 17283 for a 2.1–3.0 cm lesion, 17284 for 3.1–4.0 cm, and 17286 for a lesion over 4.0 cm.
What documentation supports selecting 17284?
Document the malignant diagnosis, exact site, and lesion diameter in the 3.1–4.0 cm range, along with the destruction method.
Does the 10-day global period include related follow-up visits?
Yes. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day period are included.
Should modifier 50 be appended for a lesion on a paired facial structure?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
How are other procedures performed in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported for this procedure?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery 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 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.
1,64117281,,Dstr mal ls f/e/e/n/l/m .6-1,A,,1.73,3.35,,1.08,,0.17,5.25,2.98,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,64217282,,Dstr mal ls f/e/e/n/l/m1.1-2,A,,2.04,3.76,,1.17,,0.20,6.00,3.41,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,64317283,,Dstr mal ls f/e/e/n/l/m2.1-3,A,,2.62,4.24,,1.35,,0.25,7.11,4.22,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,64417284,,Dstr mal ls f/e/e/n/l/m3.1-4,A,,3.12,4.69,,1.50,,0.33,8.14,4.95,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,64517286,,Dstr mal ls f/e/e/n/l/m>4.0,A,,4.37,5.71,,1.89,,0.46,10.54,6.72,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,64617311,,Mohs 1 stage h/n/hf/g,A,,6.05,13.33,,1.95,,0.59,19.97,8.59,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,64717312,,Mohs addl stage,A,,3.22,8.51,,1.03,,0.33,12.06,4.58,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00