07/12/2017
Billing for Wart Debridement and Silver Nitrate Application
I debrided 2 warts. I then applied silver nitrate to these. How is that billed?
17110 would be the appropriate CPT to use for wart removal. The diagnosis for warts would be in the B07.x category.
17110 Code Description:
Destruction (eg, laser surgery, electrosurgery, cryosurgery, chemosurgery, surgical curettement), of benign lesions other than skin tags or cutaneous vascular proliferative lesions; up to 14 lesion
Lay Description:
The physician uses a laser, electrosurgery, cryosurgery, chemical treatment, or surgical curettement to obliterate or vaporize benign lesions other than skin tags or cutaneous vascular proliferative lesions. Report 17110 for 14 lesions or less and 17111 for 15 or more lesions.
Coding Tips:
These codes are specific to benign lesions other than skin tags or cutaneous vascular proliferative lesions. They include treatment of proliferative cutaneous vascular lesions, flat warts, molluscum contagiosum, or milia. Local anesthesia is included in these services. It is not appropriate to report 17110 and 17111 together. Surgical trays, A4550, may be separately reimbursed by third-party payers. Check with the specific payer to determine coverage. For sharp removal of skin tags and fibrocutaneous lesions, see 11200 and 11201. For destruction of malignant skin lesions, see 17260-17286. For destruction of cutaneous vascular proliferative lesions (e.g., laser technique), see 17106-17108. For destruction of premalignant lesions, see 17000-17004
Please review the attached link for the LCD Policy-Removal of Benign Skin Lesions (A54602) to ensure your claim is coded correctly.