Billing code 12014: Wound repairMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $172.35 for 12014 nationally in the office and $72.15 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $151.12–$220.67.

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

What 12014 covers

This code covers simple closure of a superficial wound on the face, ear, eyelid, nose, lip, or mucous membrane when the repair involves one layer. It is commonly performed by emergency physicians, surgeons, and other qualified practitioners in emergency departments, offices, and urgent care settings. A facial laceration closed with a single layer of sutures is a typical situation; a repair requiring layered closure belongs in the intermediate-repair family instead.

Select the code using the total repair length for simple wounds in this anatomic group; when multiple such wounds are repaired, combine their lengths. Document the wound sites, lengths, and closure complexity. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this descriptor. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; 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 12014 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

12014 rates by state

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

How the 12014 rate is calculated

Each of 12014’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 12014

The CMS indicators that decide how 12014 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

12014 compared with similar codes

How to choose

12013Wound repair

Both describe simple repair in the same anatomic group, but 12013 is for a shorter total repair length. Use 12014 when the combined length reaches 5.1 cm and remains within 7.5 cm.

12015Simple wound repair

This is the next longer simple-repair interval for the same anatomic group. Use 12015 when the combined repair length exceeds 7.5 cm and falls within its range.

12002Wound repair

This code covers simple repairs on other listed body sites, such as the scalp, trunk, or extremities. The length may be similar, but the anatomic group differs.

12053Wound repair

Both apply to facial-site repairs in the 5.1–7.5 cm interval. Use 12053 when the closure meets intermediate-repair criteria rather than simple, one-layer repair.

Codes related to 12014

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