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    OpenPayerBilling CodesRepair-Simple Procedures on the Integumentary SystemCPT cpt-12006-simple-repair-superficial-wounds-20-1-30-cm
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    CPT 12006: Simple Repair of Superficial Wound 20.1–30.0 cm

    Medicare pays $247 and commercial payers pay $322 on average nationally for this procedure.

    CPT code 12006 describes the simple repair of superficial wounds of the scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk, and/or extremities (including hands and feet) for wound lengths of 20.1 to 30.0 cm, representing a minor surgical wound repair procedure typically performed in ambulatory surgical centers, emergency departments, urgent care clinics, or office-based procedure suites as a simple wound closure service.

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

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    National Reimbursement Benchmarks

    Medicare’s mean rate sits at $246.90, which is modestly below BUCA’s average commercial mean of $321.70, indicating that BUCA reimbursements are about $74.80 higher on average than Medicare for CPT 12006. That gap highlights how commercial payers can push average rates well above the government baseline, with BUCA positioned near the upper-middle of commercial means in this set of payers.

    Across payers, measureable dispersion (P75 minus P25) varies: Aetna’s interquartile range is $122.00 ($166.00 - $42.00), Blue Cross Blue Shield’s is $232.00 ($500.80 - $268.90), BUCA’s is $202.00 ($414.10 - $212.10), Cigna’s is $155.00 ($350.40 - $175.00), and UnitedHealth Group’s is $187.00 ($379.20 - $192.20). Blue Cross Blue Shield shows the widest IQR at $232.00, while Aetna is the tightest at $122.00, with others falling in between.

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    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 workplace accident with a 22 cm superficial laceration across the lateral trunk extending onto the flank. The wound is clean, without apparent foreign body, and involves only the epidermis and superficial dermis. After triage and local infiltration with a local anesthetic, the clinician irrigates the wound, achieves hemostasis, approximates edges, and performs simple layered closure of the superficial tissue using interrupted and running sutures. The encounter is documented as an initial treatment for a traumatic laceration, with wound length measured and recorded as 22.5 cm. Vital signs are stable; tetanus status is reviewed and updated as indicated. The procedure is billed using 12006 for simple repair of superficial wounds of the trunk measuring 20.1 to 30.0 cm. Typical sites of service include the emergency department, urgent care clinic, office-based primary care or dermatology settings, and ambulatory surgical centers when clinically appropriate. The typical service type is a simple wound repair (non-complex) limited to superficial tissues without extensive debridement, flap or grafting, or involvement of deeper structures.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    12005Simple repair of superficial wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities (including hands and feet); 12.6 cm to 20.0 cmPreceding/lower-length tier for wounds that measure 12.6–20.0 cm; select when measured wound length falls in this range 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…
    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…
    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…
    50Modifier –50 (Bilateral Procedure) is appended to a CPT code when an identical procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures during the same operative session. The AMA states to add…- Use modifier -50 when the same CPT surgical, diagnostic, or radiology procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures (both sides of the body) during the same operative/session by the same…
    51Modifier –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…
    22Modifier –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…
    24Modifier 24 denotes an unrelated evaluation and management (E/M) service performed by the same physician or qualified healthcare professional during a postoperative global period. Per CPT guidance,…- Use modifier 24 when you report an evaluation and management (E/M) service performed by the same physician or same-specialty group during a procedure’s postoperative global period that is unrelated…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy Code
    207ND0900X
    208600000X
    207Q00000X
    208D00000X
    207P00000X
    2355S0801X
    2084P0804X
    172M00000X

    Related ICD-10-CM Codes

    11 rows

    ICD-10-CM CodeDescription
    L03.116Cellulitis of left lower limb
    S01.02XALaceration with foreign body of scalp, initial encounter
    S01.111ALaceration without foreign body of right eyelid and periocular area, initial encounter
    S01.112ALaceration without foreign body of left eyelid and periocular area, initial encounter
    S01.311ALaceration without foreign body of right ear, initial encounter
    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
    S01.91XALaceration without foreign body of unspecified part of head, initial encounter
    S11.81XALaceration without foreign body of other specified part of neck, initial encounter
    S11.91XALaceration without foreign body of unspecified part of neck, initial encounter

    Showing 1–10 of 11

    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-12005-SIMPLE-REPAIR-SUPERFICIAL-WOUND-12-6-TO-20CM

    CPT 12005: Simple Repair of Superficial Wound 12.6–20.0 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.
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    12006
    12007Simple repair of superficial wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities (including hands and feet); over 30.0 cmHigher-length tier for wounds exceeding 30.0 cm; select when measured wound length exceeds 12006 upper bound