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-Intermediate Procedures on the Integumentary SystemCPT cpt-12044-intermediate-repair-superficial-wounds-7-6-to-12-5-cm
    Ask Trek AI about this page

    CPT 12044: Intermediate Repair of Superficial Wound 7.6–12.5 cm

    Medicare pays $402 on average nationally for this procedure.

    CPT code 12044 describes an intermediate repair procedure for superficial wounds located on the neck, hands, feet, and external genitalia with a wound length of 7.6 to 12.5 cm, typically performed as a minor surgical soft-tissue repair in an ambulatory surgical center, outpatient clinic, or emergency department setting and documented for coding and billing of the 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 12044 policy alerts

    Get alerted when payer policies referencing 12044 are released or updated.

    Monitor payer policy activity

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

    Table of contents

    Progress1 / 7

    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

    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A 34-year-old male presents to the emergency department after a dog bite to the dorsum of his right hand. On exam there is a linear laceration through the dermis measuring approximately 9 cm with moderate contamination and irregular edges. Local anesthesia is administered and the wound is irrigated and debrided. An intermediate layered wound closure is performed to approximate the subcutaneous tissue and skin over the 9 cm laceration. The procedure is documented as an intermediate repair of superficial wounds to the hand measuring 7.6 to 12.5 cm and is coded as 12044.

    Clinical workflow: initial triage and wound assessment, tetanus and antibiotic considerations per protocol, local anesthesia administration, irrigation and cleansing, debridement as needed, layered closure (approximation of subcutaneous tissue plus skin), dressing application, post-procedure instructions, and documentation of wound length, complexity, anesthesia, and any complications for coding and billing.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    12002Repair, intermediate, wounds of scalp, axillae, trunk and/or extremities (including hands and feet); 2.6 cm to 7.5 cmAlternative intermediate repair code for smaller wounds; used when wound length is shorter than for 12044.
    12046Repair, intermediate, wounds of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips; 7.6 cm to 12.5 cmSimilar intermediate repair but for facial locations; used when wound is on the face rather than the hand/neck/external genitalia.
    12020Repair, intermediate, wounds of scalp, axillae, trunk and/or extremities; 0.6 cm to 2.5 cmUsed for very small intermediate repairs when wound length is below the range for 12044.
    13132Secondary closure of surgical wound or dehiscence, scalp, arms, and/or legs; simple or intermediate repairPerformed when a wound requires delayed primary closure or debridement before layered repair.
    12041Repair, intermediate, wounds of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips; 2.6 cm to 7.5 cmRelated intermediate repair code for facial locations of smaller length.

    Related Modifiers

    5 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.,…
    33Modifier 33 was created by the American Medical Association in response to the Affordable Care Act to identify services provided for preventive intent. It is appended to CPT/HCPCS codes that could be…- Use modifier -33 when a CPT/HCPCS service that can be billed as either preventive or diagnostic/treatment is provided with preventive intent and aligns with USPSTF A or B recommendations or other…
    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…
    63Modifier‑63 is appended to surgical CPT codes (20000–69990) when a procedure is performed on a neonate or infant weighing ≤ 4 kg (about 8.8 lbs). The AMA/AAPC definition specifies this use and notes…- Use modifier -63 only for surgical procedures in the CPT 20000–69990 series performed on a neonate or infant who weighs ≤ 4 kg at the time of the procedure; it indicates increased complexity due to…
    P5Modifier P5 denotes a moribund patient who is not expected to survive without the operative procedure and is used only with anesthesia CPT codes 00100–01999. The anesthesia provider must append P5…- Use modifier P5 only when the anesthesia provider determines the patient is moribund and not expected to survive without the operation, and append it only to anesthesia CPT codes 00100–01999…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy Code
    207Q00000X
    207V00000X
    2080P0202X
    207L00000X
    207RG0300X
    173F00000X
    2080A0000X
    111NP0017X

    Related ICD-10-CM Codes

    11 rows

    ICD-10-CM CodeDescription
    A41.9Sepsis, unspecified organism
    L03.115Cellulitis of right lower limb
    L03.116Cellulitis of left lower limb
    L98.9Disorder of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, unspecified
    S01.01XALaceration without foreign body of scalp, initial encounter
    S01.02XALaceration with foreign body of scalp, 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
    T20.111ABurn of first degree of right ear [any part, except ear drum], 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-12031-INTERMEDIATE-REPAIR-WOUND-SCALP-TRUNK-EXTREMITY-2-5CM

    CPT 12031: Intermediate Repair of Wound, Scalp/Axilla/Trunk/Extremity 2.5 cm or Less

    CPT-12032-INTERMEDIATE-WOUND-REPAIR-2-6-TO-7-5-CM

    CPT 12032: Intermediate Repair of Wound, 2.6–7.5 cm

    CPT-12034-INTERMEDIATE-WOUND-REPAIR-7-6-TO-12-5-CM-SCALP-TRUNK-EXTREMITIES

    CPT 12034: Intermediate Wound Repair, 7.6–12.5 cm, Scalp/Trunk/Extremities

    CPT-12035-INTERMEDIATE-WOUND-REPAIR-SCALP-TRUNK-EXTREMITIES-12-6-20CM

    CPT 12035: Intermediate Repair of Wounds 12.6–20 cm

    CPT-12036-INTERMEDIATE-REPAIR-WOUND-20-1-30-CM-SCALP-TRUNK-EXTREMITIES

    CPT 12036: Intermediate Repair of Wound 20.1–30 cm

    CPT-12037-INTERMEDIATE-REPAIR-WOUND-GREATER-THAN-30CM-SCALP-TRUNK-EXTREMITIES

    CPT 12037: Intermediate Repair of Wounds >30.0 cm

    CPT-12041-INTERMEDIATE-REPAIR-SUPERFICIAL-WOUND-2-5CM-OR-LESS

    CPT 12041: Intermediate Repair of Superficial Wound ≤2.5 cm

    CPT-12042-INTERMEDIATE-REPAIR-SUPERFICIAL-WOUND-NECK-HANDS-FEET-GENITALIA

    CPT 12042: Intermediate Repair of Superficial Wound 2.6–7.5 cm

    CPT-12045-INTERMEDIATE-WOUND-REPAIR-NECK-HANDS-FEET-GENITALIA

    CPT 12045: Intermediate Repair of Superficial Wounds 12.6–20 cm

    CPT-12046-INTERMEDIATE-REPAIR-SUPERFICIAL-WOUND-20-1-TO-30-CM-NECK-HANDS-FEET-GENITALIA

    CPT 12046: Intermediate Repair of Superficial Wound 20.1–30.0 cm

    Showing 1–10 of 18

    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.