CPT code 12044: Intermediate repair, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $388.12 for 12044 nationally in the office and $190.72 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $342.98–$511.86.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 12044 covers

This code represents intermediate repair of wounds on the neck, hands, feet, or external genitalia, with a total repaired length of 7.6–12.5 cm. The repair involves layered closure of deeper tissue, or closure of a heavily contaminated wound that requires extensive cleaning. It is typically performed by a physician or other qualified practitioner in an office, emergency department, or surgical setting. The code is selected by the wound’s anatomic group, repair complexity, and measured length—not by the cause of the wound alone.

Document the wound location, length, depth or contamination, cleaning performed, and closure technique to support intermediate complexity and the selected length range. When multiple wounds in this same anatomic group receive the same type of repair, use their combined length for code selection. Medicare assigns a 10-day global period, including related postoperative visits during that period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing 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 12044 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

12044 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

How the 12044 rate is calculated

Each of 12044’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 12044

12044 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

12044 compared with similar codes

How to choose

12042Intermediate wound repairNeck, hands, feet, or genitalia

Both apply to intermediate repair in the same site group; 12042 is for 2.6–7.5 cm, while 12044 is for 7.6–12.5 cm.

12034Wound repairIntermediate, 7.6–12.5 cm

Both cover intermediate repair of 7.6–12.5 cm, but 12034 applies to a different site group. Choose based on the wound location.

12054Wound repairFace, 7.6–12.5 cm

This code covers the same intermediate-repair length range for the face or mucous membranes; 12044 is for the neck, hands, feet, or external genitalia.

Codes related to 12044

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates