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AetnaAll Plans · Coverage · Medical Policy · Dermatology, Plastic Surgery, ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat)Medium impact

Pulsed Dye Laser Treatment (CPB 0559, reviewed 2025-08-22)

Effective date
Not stated in the notice
Identified
Aug 14, 2026

Summary

Pulsed dye laser treatment is medically necessary for actinic keratoses that failed to adequately respond to imiquimod, 5-FU, or cryosurgery, for capillary malformation with overgrowth or vascular malformation, for genital warts when home therapy with podophyllotoxin or imiquimod has failed, for granuloma faciale, for infantile hemangiomas, and for port wine stains and other hemangiomas on the face and neck. It is also medically necessary for keloids or hypertrophic scars from an injury or surgical procedure that cause significant pain requiring chronic analgesic medication or significant functional impairment, for multiple superficially located glomangiomas in the face and neck where surgical excision is not practical, for pyogenic granuloma in the face and neck, for symptomatic angiolymphoid hyperplasia that has failed medical therapy, and for verrucae after at least two conventional therapies have failed. Pulsed dye laser is considered experimental, investigational, or unproven for other conditions, including active acne, onychomycosis, hidradenitis suppurativa, molluscum contagiosum, and morphea, and cosmetic for conditions including rosacea, facial redness, solar lentigines, and striae distensae.

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What to do

Action · 6 steps
01Billing team: bill pulsed dye laser as medically necessary only for the listed conditions and only when that condition's criteria are met.
02For verrucae, at least two of these conventional therapies must have been tried and failed: topical chemotherapy, curettage, electrodesiccation, and cryotherapy.
03For genital warts, home therapy with podophyllotoxin or imiquimod must have failed.
04For keloids or hypertrophic scars, the criteria require either significant pain requiring chronic analgesic medication or significant functional impairment.
05For port wine stains and other hemangiomas, bill CPT 17106 for less than 10 sq cm, CPT 17107 for 10.0 to 50.0 sq cm, or CPT 17108 for over 50.0 sq cm.
06Do not schedule or bill this laser for the experimental and cosmetic conditions listed in the policy, such as active acne, rosacea, and striae distensae.

Codes mentioned

1700017003170041710617107171081711017111172601726117262172631726417266172701727117272172731727417276172801728117282172831728417286969209692196922B08.1B07.0B07.9L98.0D18.01I78.8Q82.5L57.0L40.0L95.0L95.1L95.8L95.9B55.1D23.0D23.9D86.3E85.4J38.7L53.8L53.9L56.8L57.8L71.8L81.2L81.4L90.6L92.0L93.0L93.2M27.62R23.2T21.01XAT21.01XST66.XXXAT66.XXXSK13.21B35.1D18.1D22.70D22.72D23.70D23.72H02.60H02.66H95.121H95.129I78.0I78.9I89.8I89.9L05.01L05.92L30.1L44.0L70.0L71.0L71.9L73.1L73.2L73.8L81.0L81.9L94.0Q82.8R49.0C44.00C44.99

Original notice

Pulsed Dye Laser Treatment (CPB 0559, reviewed 2025-08-22)
aetna.com · Always check the source before changing claims.
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