Podiatry Coding & Billing Alert

Question: The podiatrist used a scalpel to remove a benign hyperkeratotic lesion on the patient’s foot. The podiatrist then applied antiseptic to the site and removed pressure points by fitting padding on the site. Which CPT^® code should we report for this service?

South Carolina Subscriber

Answer: You would report 11055 (Paring or cutting of benign hyperkeratotic lesion (eg, corn or callus); single lesion).

Don’t miss: In the descriptor, you will see that a corn or callus is an example of a benign hyperkeratotic lesion. Hyperkeratotic lesions are defined as dead skin that builds up from repeated or prolonged pressure to the skin.

Number of removed lesions is vital: And, notice that the number of lesions the podiatrist removed is important here. Since the podiatrist only removed one lesion, you would report 11055. However, you should report 11056 (Paring or cutting of benign hyperkeratotic lesion (eg, corn or callus); 2 to 4 lesions) when the service involves two to four lesions and 11057 (… more than 4 lesions) when the service involves more than four lesions.  

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