Excision, malignant lesion including margins, trunk, arms, or legs; excised diameter 0.5 cm or less

CPT 11600 is the billing code for "Excision, malignant lesion including margins, trunk, arms, or legs; excised diameter 0.5 cm or less". For excision of malignant skin lesion on trunk, arms, or legs with diameter 0.5 cm or less

Medicare pays approximately $191.17 for CPT 11600 (national average). Actual payment varies by geographic location due to GPCI adjustments. Hospital and commercial insurance rates are typically 2-4x higher than Medicare rates.

CPT 11600 has a total RVU of 5.42, broken down as: Work RVU 2.20, Practice Expense RVU 3.00, and Malpractice RVU 0.22. RVUs (Relative Value Units) determine Medicare reimbursement rates.

Key documentation requirements for CPT 11600 include: Location and size of lesion; Preoperative diagnosis; Surgical margins; Closure technique. Missing or incomplete documentation is a leading cause of claim denials for this code.

Bundling considerations for CPT 11600: Includes excision with margins. Includes simple closure Use an NCCI bundling checker to verify specific code combinations before billing.

Common modifiers for CPT 11600 include: 51 (Multiple procedures performed same session), 59 (Distinct procedural service if performed separately), LT (Left side procedure). Modifiers indicate special circumstances and can affect reimbursement or prevent claim denials.

The typical time requirement for CPT 11600 is 15-30 minutes typical procedure time. Time-based codes require documentation of the actual time spent providing the service.