CPT code 13120: Complex repair, scalp, arm, or leg; 1.1–2.5 cm2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

Medicare pays $369.32–$459.77 for 13120 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. Which amount applies depends on the service address.

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

What 13120 covers

This code covers complex repair of a wound on the scalp, arm, or leg when the repair requires work beyond routine closure, such as extensive undermining, significant debridement, or scar revision. It may be performed by a surgeon, emergency physician, or other clinician managing a traumatic wound or operative defect in an office, emergency department, or facility. The site and the final repaired length must fall within this code’s range.

Choose the complex-repair family based on the documented repair work and anatomic group, not length alone. Record the wound site, repaired length, and the features supporting complexity; lengths may be combined only for wounds in the same classification and anatomic group. The code has a 10-day global period, which includes related postoperative visits during that period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to a 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay for an assistant at surgery, and 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 13120 pays more and less in California

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

29 of 29 payment localities

How the 13120 rate is calculated

Each of 13120’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 13120

13120 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

13120 compared with similar codes

How to choose

13121Complex repairScalp, arm, or leg, 2.6–7.5 cm

Use 13121 for a complex scalp, arm, or leg repair measuring 2.6–7.5 cm; 13120 is limited to 1.1–2.5 cm.

13100Complex repairTrunk, 1.1–2.5 cm

This is the corresponding complex-repair range for the trunk. Choose by anatomic group, not by wound length alone.

12002Wound repairSimple, 2.6–7.5 cm

This code describes simple repair of a 2.6–7.5 cm scalp or extremity wound. A longer wound does not by itself establish complex repair.

13160Wound closureExtensive or complicated

13160 addresses secondary closure of a surgical wound or dehiscence; 13120 is for complex repair of a wound in its specified anatomic group and length range.

Codes related to 13120

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