CPT 11056: Removal of 2–4 Benign Hyperkeratotic Lesions

Medicare pays $84 on average nationally for this procedure.

CPT code 11056 describes the surgical removal of 2 to 4 benign hyperkeratotic lesions using instruments such as a scalpel, curette, scissors, or forceps; the service is a minor dermatologic surgical procedure typically performed in an outpatient clinic, physician office, or ambulatory surgical setting for treatment of benign hyperkeratotic skin lesions.

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for cpt 11056 policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing 11056 are released or updated.

Monitor payer policy activity

Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

Explore openpayer tools

View all tools

CPT 11056: Removal of 2–4 Benign Hyperkeratotic Lesions

Medicare pays $84 on average nationally for this procedure.

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for cpt 11056 policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing 11056 are released or updated.

Monitor payer policy activity

Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient is an adult presenting to a dermatology or primary care clinic with multiple small, benign hyperkeratotic lesions (commonly calluses, corns, or seborrheic keratoses that are hyperkeratotic) on the hands or feet. The provider performs a focused, brief office procedure using a scalpel, curette, or similar instruments to remove between two and four discrete hyperkeratotic lesions. Local anesthesia (topical or infiltration) may be applied. The workflow includes brief pre-procedure skin assessment, informed consent, lesion preparation and cleansing, lesion debridement/excision with hemostasis as needed, application of a simple dressing, and brief post-procedure instructions for wound care. Typical site of service is an outpatient clinic, dermatology office, or primary care office visit. Procedural documentation includes lesion count and sizes, method and instruments used (scalpel, curette), anesthesia type, hemostasis, complications (if any), and aftercare instructions.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`11042`	Debridement, subcutaneous tissue (includes epidermis and dermis), first 20 sq cm or less; without anesthesia	May be reported when broader debridement of necrotic or infected tissue is required instead of targeted removal of discrete hyperkeratotic lesions
`11043`	Debridement, muscle and/or fascia, first 20 sq cm or less	Used if deeper debridement beyond epidermis/dermis is clinically necessary, which is beyond the scope of `11056`
`11044`	Debridement, bone, first 20 sq cm or less	Used for extensive debridement involving bone, not typical for benign hyperkeratotic lesions
`17000`	Destruction (e.g., laser surgery, electrosurgery, cryosurgery), premalignant lesions (e.g., actinic keratoses); first lesion	May be used when lesions are treated by destruction rather than surgical removal; multiple lesion destruction has separate codes
`11300`	Shaving of epidermal or dermal lesion including simple closure, single lesion, trunk, arms or legs; lesion diameter 0.5 cm or less	Used when lesions are removed by shave excision technique and coding by excision/shave codes is appropriate rather than wart/callus removal codes

Related Modifiers

6 rows

Modifier	Description	When to Use
25	CPT modifier 25 indicates that on the same day as another procedure or service, the same physician or other qualified health care professional provided a significant, separately identifiable…	- When to apply: Use modifier 25 only on an E/M code to indicate the same provider delivered a significant, separately identifiable E/M service on the same day as another procedure or service — i.e.,…
59	Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…	- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
51	Modifier –51 (Multiple Procedures) is used when the same provider performs multiple procedures in the same session to identify secondary, non‑exempt procedures and indicate payment reduction logic…	- Use modifier -51 when the same provider performs multiple distinct procedures during the same patient encounter: report the highest‑valued procedure first (no modifier) and append -51 to…
52	Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…	- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
53	Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…	- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
22	Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…	- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…

Related Provider Taxonomies

8 rows

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207RC0000X	Cardiovascular Disease Physician	An internist who specializes in diseases of the heart and blood vessels and manages complex cardiac conditions such as heart attacks and life-threaten…
207Q00000X	Family Medicine Physician	Family Medicine is the medical specialty which is concerned with the total health care of the individual and the family. It is the specialty in breadt…
207L00000X	Anesthesiology Physician	An anesthesiologist is trained to provide pain relief and maintenance, or restoration, of a stable condition during and immediately following an opera…
2084P0800X	Psychiatry Physician	A Psychiatrist specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders, emotional disorders, psychotic disorders, mood disorders, …
2080P0205X	Pediatric Endocrinology Physician	A pediatrician who provides expert care to infants, children and adolescents who have diseases that result from an abnormality in the endocrine glands…
103TP2701X	Group Psychotherapy Psychologist	A psychologist who specializes in group psychology and group psychotherapy that is an evidenced-based specialty that prepares group leaders to identif…
320700000X	Physical Disabilities Residential Treatment Facility	A residential facility that provides habilitation services and other care and treatment to adults or children diagnosed with physical disabilities and…
207LP2900X	Pain Medicine (Anesthesiology) Physician	An anesthesiologist who provides a high level of care, either as a primary physician or consultant, for patients experiencing problems with acute, chr…

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

29 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
B07.0	Plantar wart
B07.8	Other viral warts
B07.9	Viral wart, unspecified
L57.0	Actinic keratosis
L57.1	Actinic reticuloid
L57.2	Cutis rhomboidalis nuchae
L60.0	Ingrowing nail
L60.1	Onycholysis
L60.2	Onychogryphosis
L60.3	Nail dystrophy

Showing 1–10 of 29

CPT 11055: Removal of Single Benign Hyperkeratotic Lesion

CPT-11057-REMOVAL-MULTIPLE-BENIGN-HYPERKERATOTIC-LESIONS

CPT 11057: Removal of More Than 4 Benign Hyperkeratotic Lesions

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

Explore openpayer tools

View all tools

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`11042`	Debridement, subcutaneous tissue (includes epidermis and dermis), first 20 sq cm or less; without anesthesia	May be reported when broader debridement of necrotic or infected tissue is required instead of targeted removal of discrete hyperkeratotic lesions
`11043`	Debridement, muscle and/or fascia, first 20 sq cm or less	Used if deeper debridement beyond epidermis/dermis is clinically necessary, which is beyond the scope of `11056`
`11044`	Debridement, bone, first 20 sq cm or less	Used for extensive debridement involving bone, not typical for benign hyperkeratotic lesions
`17000`	Destruction (e.g., laser surgery, electrosurgery, cryosurgery), premalignant lesions (e.g., actinic keratoses); first lesion	May be used when lesions are treated by destruction rather than surgical removal; multiple lesion destruction has separate codes
`11300`	Shaving of epidermal or dermal lesion including simple closure, single lesion, trunk, arms or legs; lesion diameter 0.5 cm or less	Used when lesions are removed by shave excision technique and coding by excision/shave codes is appropriate rather than wart/callus removal codes

Related Modifiers

6 rows

Modifier	Description	When to Use
25	CPT modifier 25 indicates that on the same day as another procedure or service, the same physician or other qualified health care professional provided a significant, separately identifiable…	- When to apply: Use modifier 25 only on an E/M code to indicate the same provider delivered a significant, separately identifiable E/M service on the same day as another procedure or service — i.e.,…
59	Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…	- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
51	Modifier –51 (Multiple Procedures) is used when the same provider performs multiple procedures in the same session to identify secondary, non‑exempt procedures and indicate payment reduction logic…	- Use modifier -51 when the same provider performs multiple distinct procedures during the same patient encounter: report the highest‑valued procedure first (no modifier) and append -51 to…
52	Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…	- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
53	Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…	- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
22	Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…	- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…

Related Provider Taxonomies

8 rows

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207RC0000X	Cardiovascular Disease Physician	An internist who specializes in diseases of the heart and blood vessels and manages complex cardiac conditions such as heart attacks and life-threaten…
207Q00000X	Family Medicine Physician	Family Medicine is the medical specialty which is concerned with the total health care of the individual and the family. It is the specialty in breadt…
207L00000X	Anesthesiology Physician	An anesthesiologist is trained to provide pain relief and maintenance, or restoration, of a stable condition during and immediately following an opera…
2084P0800X	Psychiatry Physician	A Psychiatrist specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders, emotional disorders, psychotic disorders, mood disorders, …
2080P0205X	Pediatric Endocrinology Physician	A pediatrician who provides expert care to infants, children and adolescents who have diseases that result from an abnormality in the endocrine glands…
103TP2701X	Group Psychotherapy Psychologist	A psychologist who specializes in group psychology and group psychotherapy that is an evidenced-based specialty that prepares group leaders to identif…
320700000X	Physical Disabilities Residential Treatment Facility	A residential facility that provides habilitation services and other care and treatment to adults or children diagnosed with physical disabilities and…
207LP2900X	Pain Medicine (Anesthesiology) Physician	An anesthesiologist who provides a high level of care, either as a primary physician or consultant, for patients experiencing problems with acute, chr…

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

29 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
B07.0	Plantar wart
B07.8	Other viral warts
B07.9	Viral wart, unspecified
L57.0	Actinic keratosis
L57.1	Actinic reticuloid
L57.2	Cutis rhomboidalis nuchae
L60.0	Ingrowing nail
L60.1	Onycholysis
L60.2	Onychogryphosis
L60.3	Nail dystrophy

Showing 1–10 of 29

CPT 11055: Removal of Single Benign Hyperkeratotic Lesion

CPT-11057-REMOVAL-MULTIPLE-BENIGN-HYPERKERATOTIC-LESIONS

CPT 11057: Removal of More Than 4 Benign Hyperkeratotic Lesions

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

OpenPayer

CPT 11056: Removal of 2–4 Benign Hyperkeratotic Lesions

Sign up for cpt 11056 policy alerts

OpenPayer

CPT 11056: Removal of 2–4 Benign Hyperkeratotic Lesions

Sign up for cpt 11056 policy alerts

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

Related Codes

References

CPT 11056: Removal of 2–4 Benign Hyperkeratotic Lesions

Sign up for cpt 11056 policy alerts

CPT 11056: Removal of 2–4 Benign Hyperkeratotic Lesions

Sign up for cpt 11056 policy alerts

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

Related Codes

What clinical situations does CPT 11056 describe?

What documentation elements should be included when reporting CPT 11056?

When might another CPT code be more appropriate than 11056?

What diagnoses are commonly associated with CPT 11056?

Which payers are listed as covering procedures like CPT 11056 in this summary?

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

Related Codes

What clinical situations does CPT 11056 describe?

What documentation elements should be included when reporting CPT 11056?

When might another CPT code be more appropriate than 11056?

What diagnoses are commonly associated with CPT 11056?

Which payers are listed as covering procedures like CPT 11056 in this summary?

References