Destruction, malignant lesion (eg, laser surgery, electrosurgery, cryosurgery, chemosurgery, surgical curettement), face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips; lesion diameter 2.1 cm to 3.0 cm
Relative Value Units (RVUs)
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Clinical Information
When to Use
Destruction of malignant lesion, face/ears/eyelids/nose/lips, 2.1-3.0 cm
Common Scenarios
Documentation Requirements
- Location documented (face/ears/eyelids/nose/lips)
- Size documented (2.1-3.0 cm)
- Method documented
- Malignancy documented
- Patient response documented
Coding Guidelines
Common Modifiers
Bundling Rules
- Face/ears/eyelids/nose/lips only
- Size 2.1-3.0 cm
- Includes local anesthesia
Exclusions
- Do not bill if size outside 2.1-3.0 cm
- Do not bill if trunk/arms/legs (use 17263)
Coding Notes
Clinical scenarios
- Location documented (face/ears/eyelids/nose/lips)
- Size documented (2.1-3.0 cm)
- Method documented
- Location documented (face/ears/eyelids/nose/lips)
- Size documented (2.1-3.0 cm)
- Method documented
- Location documented (face/ears/eyelids/nose/lips)
- Size documented (2.1-3.0 cm)
- Method documented
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Code Details
Medicare Pricing
PFSRVU Breakdown
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Ask a QuestionFrequently Asked Questions
CPT 17273 is the billing code for "Destruction, malignant lesion (eg, laser surgery, electrosurgery, cryosurgery, chemosurgery, surgical curettement), face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips; lesion diameter 2.1 cm to 3.0 cm". Destruction of malignant lesion, face/ears/eyelids/nose/lips, 2.1-3.0 cm
Medicare pays approximately $203.46 for CPT 17273 (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 17273 has a total RVU of 4.36, broken down as: Work RVU 2.00, Practice Expense RVU 2.20, and Malpractice RVU 0.16. RVUs (Relative Value Units) determine Medicare reimbursement rates.
Key documentation requirements for CPT 17273 include: Location documented (face/ears/eyelids/nose/lips); Size documented (2.1-3.0 cm); Method documented; Malignancy documented. Missing or incomplete documentation is a leading cause of claim denials for this code.
Bundling considerations for CPT 17273: Face/ears/eyelids/nose/lips only. Size 2.1-3.0 cm Use an NCCI bundling checker to verify specific code combinations before billing.
Common modifiers for CPT 17273 include: 59 (Distinct procedural service), 50 (Bilateral procedure). Modifiers indicate special circumstances and can affect reimbursement or prevent claim denials.
The typical time requirement for CPT 17273 is Typically 30-35 minutes. Time-based codes require documentation of the actual time spent providing the service.