CPT code 12018: Wound repair, face group, over 30 cm2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports simple, single-layer closure of superficial wounds in the face-and-related-site group when the combined repair length exceeds 30 cm.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 12018 in Missouri.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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What 12018 covers
This code is for straightforward closure of superficial wounds involving the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mucous membranes. The repair is limited to a simple closure, typically a single layer, without the deeper layered work that characterizes an intermediate repair. Emergency physicians and surgeons may perform this service in an emergency department or another acute-care setting; extensive wounds in this anatomic group are less typical in an office setting.
Choose the code from the documented repair type, anatomic group, and total length. For multiple wounds with the same repair classification in this group, combine their lengths; document each wound’s site, length, depth, and closure method. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard 50% reduction to the others. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
Where 12018 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | Unavailable | $171.69 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | Unavailable | $172.78 |
| Rest of Missouri | Unavailable | $169.52 |
How the 12018 rate is calculated
Each of 12018’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 12018
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work3.52
3.52 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.81
0.81 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.88
0.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
5.2100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$174.02
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 12018
The CMS indicators that decide how 12018 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 12018
Wound repair, face group, over 30 cm
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
12018 without 51 · national facility
$174.02
Wound repair, face group, over 30 cm
12018-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$87.01
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
12018 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 12017Wound repairFace and related sites, 20.1–30 cm
- Both describe simple repairs in the same anatomic group. Choose 12018 when the combined length exceeds 30 cm; 12017 applies through 30 cm.
- 12007Wound repairSimple, over 30 cm
- Both describe simple repairs exceeding 30 cm, but 12007 is for a different anatomic group, such as scalp, trunk, or extremities.
- 12057Wound repairFace and related sites, over 30 cm
- Both cover repairs exceeding 30 cm in the face-and-related-site group. Choose 12057 when the repair is intermediate, rather than simple.
12018 billing questions
How is the length selected when there are several wounds?
Combine the lengths of wounds repaired with the same simple technique in this anatomic group. Keep lengths in different anatomic groups or repair classifications separate.
When is this code preferable to 12017?
Both codes describe simple repair in the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mucous membranes. Use 12018 when the total repair length exceeds 30 cm; 12017 covers 20.1–30 cm.
How does this differ from an intermediate repair?
Use 12018 for a simple, superficial closure. A repair requiring layered closure or work on deeper tissue is intermediate; select the intermediate code for the anatomic group and total length.
Can modifier 50 be reported for this repair?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code because its descriptor and anatomy do not support modifier 50.
What documentation supports reporting 12018?
Document the wound sites, individual lengths, superficial nature of the injuries, simple closure technique, and the total length for wounds in this group.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
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