Billing code
R031A — Malignant skin lesion — curettage, electrodesiccation or cryosurgery, other areas — one lesion
Skin cancer destruction, body, one
Bill R031 for curettage, electrodesiccation or cryosurgery of one malignant skin lesion outside the face or neck, including biopsy.
Watch for: Keep the pathologist's report in the record, or OHIP pays a lesser fee; pre-malignant lesions don't count as malignant.
| Provider | Specialist | Assistant | Anaesthetist | Non-anaesthetist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $60.35 | $0.00 | $77.46 | $95.76 | $95.76 |
- Code
- R031A
- Description
- Malignant skin lesion — curettage, electrodesiccation or cryosurgery, other areas — one lesion
- FHO+ basket
- Not in the FHO+ base rate basket (Schedule 2 or 2B).
- Effective date
- Apr 1, 2026
- Termination date
- No end date
Explanation
Updated October 26, 2026
Curettage, electrodesiccation or cryosurgery of one malignant skin lesion outside the face or neck, including biopsy of each lesion.
What it covers
Treatment of malignant skin lesions by curettage, electrodesiccation or cryosurgery, including biopsy of each lesion, single or multiple sites. The series for other areas is R031–R033; R018–R020 for the face or neck (M7).
Pre-malignant lesions are not malignant for payment; chemical or cryotherapy of non-malignant lesions is Z117, and cryotherapy of 5 or more actinic keratoses is Z119 (M5, M6, M7).
Billing rules
- Keep the pathologist's report in the patient's record, or OHIP pays a lesser fee (M6).
- A pre-malignant lesion is not a malignant lesion for payment; in-situ lesions such as lentigo maligna and Bowen's disease count as malignant (M5, M6).
- Laser surgery on lesions is R051, by independent consideration (M7).
- Multiple procedures under the same anaesthetic: full fee for the major procedure, 85% for the others (SP2 §3).
- Age premiums apply to surgical procedures for children: +30% under 30 days down to +10% for ages 5 to 15 (GP64).
- FHO: a Schedule 4 office procedure for the office procedures special payment (Agreement p.67 §8.7, p.93).
Related codes: R032, R033, R018, R019, R020, R094, Z117
Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Integumentary System Surgical Procedures, Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue, page M7.
APEX checks every paid claim against the Schedule of Benefits and flags codes billed below what the visit qualified for. See how APEX works · Pricing