# Keratosis Removal Codes



## sjhazen75 (Nov 28, 2011)

http://www.aafp.org/fpm/2005/1000/p47.html

Please copy and paste the link into your browser.  Can anyone please tell me if the following article/encounter form is accurate?  I am having trouble deciphering between what my physician is doing (I'm at a medical billing company, so I don't have access to medical records at my hands).  He is coding 17110 for seb. keratosis, but according to the article above, he should be using 17000/17003. 

Thanks so much! 
Sara


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## mdoyle53 (Nov 28, 2011)

The article is correct.  However, without the note, how do you know what the provider is performing?


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## sjhazen75 (Nov 28, 2011)

*Keratosis Removal*

Thank you for responding.  Right now we receive the encounter form electronically with the codes circled by the physician.  

However, he will write "7 on back, 1 on arm," etc, which makes me think these should be 17000 x 1 and 17003 x 7, but if they are seborrheic, aka, benign lesions, then 17110 would be correct and the article would be incorrect.  

17000 CPT description says "premalignant" lesions.   17110 says benign lesions. Help?


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## missy874 (Nov 28, 2011)

17000 should really only be used for Actinic Keratoses..these are the premalignant lesions.... I use 17110 for the Sk's


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## missy874 (Nov 28, 2011)

The date of the article states 2005, I believe the changes to the CPTs happened after (premalignant verbiage)  It is entirely possible at the time of publication the article was correct, but it is no longer so.


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## sjhazen75 (Nov 28, 2011)

*Keratosis Removal*

Thank you so much.  I referenced the CPT Assitant 2009, page 7 and it includes clarification on these codes.

S.Hazen


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