Loading...

    Explore
    • Policy Monitoring
    • Live Policy Feed
    • Billing Codes
    • Healthcare Providers
    • Health Insurance Payers
    • States
    • Service Lines
    • Taxonomy Codes
    Lookup tools
    • Billing Code Lookup
    • CPT Modifier Lookup
    • Provider Taxonomy Code Lookup
    • Healthcare Provider & Facility Lookup
    • Health Insurance Payer Lookup
    • Payer Contact Directory

    Policy & Benchmark Tools

    • Prior Authorization Lookup
    • Coverage Criteria Lookup
    • Timely Filing Lookup
    • Billing Code Reimbursement Rates
    • Payer Comparison Dashboard
    • Facility Comparison Dashboard
    • All tools

    Company

    • About OpenPayer
    • Data Sources
    • Trek Health
    OpenPayerby Trek Health
    LinkedInYouTube

    © 2026 Trek Health. All rights reserved.

    OpenPayer is built and maintained by Trek Health.

    v1.0.30
    OpenPayerBilling CodesRepair-Simple Procedures on the Integumentary SystemCPT cpt-12005-simple-repair-superficial-wound-12-6-to-20cm
    Ask Trek AI about this page

    CPT 12005: Simple Repair of Superficial Wound 12.6–20.0 cm

    Medicare pays $217 and commercial payers pay $294 on average nationally for this procedure.

    CPT code 12005 describes the simple repair of superficial wounds measuring 12.6 to 20.0 cm on the scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk, and/or extremities (including hands and feet); this procedure is a minor surgical skin repair typically performed in outpatient settings such as physician offices, ambulatory surgical centers, or emergency departments and is categorized as a simple wound closure service.

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Mohs Micrographic Surgery, Mohs Micrographic Surgery, Mohs Micrographic Surgery.

    Customize your policy alerts

    Sign up for cpt 12005 policy alerts

    Get alerted when payer policies referencing 12005 are released or updated.

    Monitor payer policy activity

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

    National Reimbursement Benchmarks

    Across national benchmarks for CPT 12005, Medicare’s mean of $217.10 sits below BUCA’s average commercial mean of $293.60, indicating that BUCA reimbursements are about $76.50 higher on average than Medicare. Blue Cross Blue Shield’s mean of $368.60 and Aetna’s mean of $100.10 further illustrate a wide commercial spread, with UnitedHealth Group ($249.40) and Cigna ($231.60) clustering between Medicare and higher commercial payers.

    Dispersion measured as the interquartile range (P75 minus P25) is tightest for Aetna at $107.00 and Medicare at $23.00, reflecting relatively concentrated middle fifty percent values. The widest dispersion appears for Blue Cross Blue Shield at $214.30 and BUCA at $180.50, with UnitedHealth Group ($153.80) and Cigna ($147.10) also showing substantial variability across their commercial rates.

    Table of contents

    Progress1 / 9

    Explore openpayer tools

    • Billing CodesCPT, HCPCS, DRG & more
    • Reimbursement RatesCommercial vs. Medicare rate reports
    • Facility ComparisonBeds, revenue & payer mix
    • ProvidersHospitals & facilities
    • PayersPlans & market footprint
    • Taxonomy CodesNUCC specialty codes
    • ModifiersCPT modifiers & usage
    • Prior AuthorizationPA policies by payer & drug
    • Timely FilingFiling deadlines by payer
    • Coverage CriteriaMedical necessity by payer
    • Payer ContactsClaims, PA & appeals contacts
    View all tools
    National Payer Mean Reimbursement Rates

    State Reimbursement Rates

    State: Alaska1 / 51

    Rate by payer

    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A 34-year-old male presents to the emergency department after a fall onto a fence, with a 14 cm superficial linear laceration across the right lateral forearm involving skin and subcutaneous tissue only. The wound is clean, has no obvious foreign body, and bleeding is controlled. After local wound cleansing, topical anesthesia and field block, the physician performs a simple layered closure using interrupted sutures for the epidermis and buried absorbable sutures for the subcutaneous layer. The procedure is documented as a simple repair of a superficial wound measuring 14 cm, corresponding to 12005. Typical workflow: triage and vital signs, wound assessment and tetanus status, informed consent, local anesthesia administration, irrigation and debridement of gross contamination, simple closure, wound dressing, and discharge instructions. Usual sites of service include the emergency department, urgent care clinic, outpatient surgical clinic, and ambulatory procedure center. Relevant clinicians include general surgeons, plastic surgeons, and dermatologists managing traumatic lacerations in acute care settings.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    12004Simple repair of superficial wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities (including hands and feet); 0.6 cm to 2.5 cmRepresents the smaller length category for simple repair; used when total wound length falls within 0.6–2.5 cm instead of .

    Related Modifiers

    9 rows

    ModifierDescriptionWhen to Use
    25CPT 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.,…
    59Modifier 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…
    76Modifier -76, Repeat Procedure or Service by Same Physician or Other Qualified Health Care Professional, is appended when the same provider performs an identical, medically necessary procedure or…- Use modifier -76 when the same physician or other qualified health care professional performs an identical procedure or service a second (or subsequent) time on the same date of service and the…
    52Modifier ‑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…
    53Modifier 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…
    54Modifier ‑54 (“Surgical care only”) is appended to a CPT surgical procedure when the reporting surgeon performs the intraoperative (surgical) component but does not furnish the preoperative and/or…- Use modifier -54 when the reporting surgeon provided only the intraoperative (surgical) component of a procedure and preoperative and/or postoperative management has been or will be provided by…
    55Modifier –55 indicates the billing provider furnished only postoperative management for a procedure that has a global surgical period. According to AAPC, this modifier is appended to the same CPT…- Use modifier -55 when billing the same CPT surgical code that has a 10- or 90-day global period and you, as a provider other than the original surgeon, furnished ONLY postoperative management (no…
    79Modifier 79 indicates a surgical procedure performed during the postoperative global period of a prior surgery that is unrelated to the original procedure. Per AMA/CPT and CMS guidance, it is…- Use modifier 79 when the same physician (or same‑specialty physician in the same group) performs a surgical procedure during the postoperative global period of a prior surgery and the new procedure…
    95Modifier 95 indicates that a service was provided via synchronous, real‑time audio‑video telehealth rather than in‑person. Per CMS, AAPC and professional associations, append modifier 95 to claim…- Use modifier 95 to indicate a service was furnished via synchronous, real‑time audiovisual telehealth (a live audio‑video conference between patient and provider) rather than in‑person. - Pair…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy Code
    208600000X
    207Y00000X
    207N00000X
    283Q00000X
    282N00000X
    261QM0850X
    163WA0400X
    2255A2300X

    Related ICD-10-CM Codes

    9 rows

    ICD-10-CM CodeDescription
    S01.111ALaceration without foreign body of right eyelid and periocular area, initial encounter
    S01.211A
    S01.411ALaceration without foreign body of right cheek and temporomandibular area, initial encounter
    S01.81XALaceration without foreign body of other part of head, initial encounter
    S01.81XDLaceration without foreign body of other part of head, subsequent encounter
    S01.81XSLaceration without foreign body of other part of head, sequela
    S11.81XALaceration without foreign body of other specified part of neck, initial encounter
    S11.81XDLaceration without foreign body of other specified part of neck, subsequent encounter
    S11.81XSLaceration without foreign body of other specified part of neck, sequela

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: Dermatology1 / 3

    10 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Mohs Micrographic Surgerypremerabluecrossofwashington2027-02-05
    Mohs Micrographic Surgerypremerabluecrossofwashington2027-02-05
    Mohs Micrographic Surgerypremerabluecrossofwashington2027-02-05
    FilsuvezCigna2026-11-01
    Destruction of Pre-Malignant Skin LesionsAnthem2026-10-01
    Onychomycosis diagnostic testing and coverageOscar Health2026-10-01
    Treatment of Capillary Malformations (Port Wine Stains)universityofutahhealthplans2026-09-28
    AnzupgoCigna2026-09-15
    Hyperhidrosispriority_health_medicare2026-09-01
    Zevaskyn Coverage for Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis BullosaCigna2026-09-01

    Related Codes

    CPT-12001-SIMPLE-SUPERFICIAL-WOUND-REPAIR-25CM-OR-LESS

    CPT 12001: Simple repair of superficial wound, ≤2.5 cm

    CPT-12002-SIMPLE-REPAIR-SUPERFICIAL-WOUNDS-26-75MM

    CPT 12002: Simple Repair of Superficial Wounds 2.6–7.5 cm

    CPT-12004-SIMPLE-REPAIR-SUPERFICIAL-WOUND-7-6-12-5-CM

    CPT 12004: Simple Repair of Superficial Wounds 7.6–12.5 cm

    CPT-12006-SIMPLE-REPAIR-SUPERFICIAL-WOUNDS-20-1-30-CM

    CPT 12006: Simple Repair of Superficial Wound 20.1–30.0 cm

    CPT-12007-SIMPLE-REPAIR-SUPERFICIAL-WOUNDS-OVER-30CM

    CPT 12007: Simple repair of superficial wound >30.0 cm

    CPT-12011-SIMPLE-REPAIR-SUPERFICIAL-FACIAL-WOUND-2-5CM-OR-LESS

    CPT 12011: Simple Repair of Superficial Facial/Mucous Membrane Wounds ≤2.5 cm

    CPT-12013-SIMPLE-REPAIR-SUPERFICIAL-WOUNDS-FACE-2-6-5-0-CM

    CPT 12013: Simple Repair of Superficial Facial Wounds, 2.6–5.0 cm

    CPT-12014-SIMPLE-REPAIR-SUPERFICIAL-WOUNDS-FACE-5-1-7-5-CM

    CPT 12014: Simple Repair of Superficial Facial Wounds 5.1–7.5 cm

    CPT-12015-SIMPLE-REPAIR-SUPERFICIAL-WOUNDS-FACE-76-125-CM

    CPT 12015: Simple Repair of Superficial Facial Wounds 7.6–12.5 cm

    CPT-12016-SIMPLE-REPAIR-SUPERFICIAL-WOUNDS-FACE-12-6-20-CM

    CPT 12016: Simple Repair of Superficial Wounds, Face 12.6–20 cm

    Showing 1–10 of 14

    Frequently Asked Questions

    References

    1. 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. 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. 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.

    12005
    12006Simple repair of superficial wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities (including hands and feet); 20.1 cm to 30.0 cmRepresents the next higher length category for simple repair; used when total wound length exceeds the 12005 range and falls in 20.1–30.0 cm.
    12007Simple repair of superficial wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities (including hands and feet); over 30.0 cmRepresents the largest length category for simple repair; used when total wound length exceeds 30.0 cm and not appropriate for 12005.