R020 – Curettage, electrodesiccation or cryosurgery - three or more lesions
OHIP Radiology Code — INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM SURGICAL PROCEDURES · Schedule of Benefits
Treatment of three or more malignant lesions on the face or neck by curettage, electrodesiccation, or cryosurgery. This service includes the biopsy of each lesion. Payment is conditional upon retaining the pathologist's report in the patient's record. This code does not apply to pre-malignant lesions. Per the note on page of the Schedule, if the defect from the lesion removal is repaired using an advancement, rotation, transposition, Z-plasty, flap, or graft, the claim should be for the appropriate repair code instead of this excision code.
When to Use
- Use R020 when treating three or more biopsy-proven malignant lesions on the face or neck using curettage, electrodesiccation, or cryosurgery.
- Use this code when the procedure is performed as a single session for multiple malignant lesions, as it acts as a bundled fee for the group.
Common Pitfalls
- Billing R020 for pre-malignant lesions (e.g., actinic keratoses) will result in audit recovery; the code is strictly for malignant diagnoses.
- Failing to retain the pathology report for every lesion treated is a common cause for fee adjustment or clawback during an audit.
- Billing R020 when a repair (e.g., flap or graft) is performed; you must use the appropriate repair code instead of this excision code per the Schedule.
Billing Tips
- Ensure your clinical notes explicitly document the malignant nature of each of the three or more lesions to support the use of this specific code over individual excision codes like R031 or R032.
Effective: April 1, 2026
M. Integumentary System Surgical Procedures
INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM SURGICAL PROCEDURES
Surgical
Integumentary System Surgical Procedures
The amount payable for treatment of a malignant lesion will be adjusted to a lesser fee if the pathologist's report is not retained in the patient's record.
A pre-malignant lesion is not a malignant lesion for the purposes of payment.
When excision of benign, pre-malignant or malignant lesions are corrected by advancement, rotation, transposition, Z-plasty, flap or graft, claim appropriate benefit listed under Repair Section instead of foregoing excision benefits.
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