Headline: CPT 11603: Excision of Malignant Skin Lesion (2.1–3.0 cm) — Surgical Code and Clinical Context

Lead: CPT 11603 designates the surgical excision of a malignant skin lesion on the trunk, arms, or legs when the lesion measures 2.1 to 3.0 cm in diameter. This code defines scope of service and procedural reporting for a common dermatologic and surgical oncology intervention performed across ambulatory settings.

What the code represents and why it matters: CPT 11603 is used to document removal of medium-sized malignant skin lesions with margins, a key step in definitive treatment and staging for cutaneous malignancies. Accurate coding affects clinical records, claim adjudication, and quality measurement for skin cancer care.

Key payers covered: Analysis and guidance address common national payers including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, Medicare, and UnitedHealthcare.

Overview of what readers will learn: The publication explains the clinical context for using CPT 11603, contrasts it with related lesion-size codes, and summarizes typical site-of-service considerations for office and outpatient facility settings. It outlines common billing practices such as procedural grouping and reporting conventions, notes pertinent coding correlations, and flags areas where documentation should support lesion size and surgical margins. Service-line metadata is not available in the input where indicated.

Intended use: This summary serves clinicians, coding professionals, and policy analysts seeking a concise reference for procedural definition, payer scope, and the clinical circumstances tied to CPT 11603 without making clinical or billing recommendations.