Billing code 10180: Wound drainageMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Report complex incision and drainage when a postoperative wound infection requires operative opening and drainage rather than treatment of a routine skin abscess.
Medicare pays $271.27 for 10180 in the office in Ohio (Ohio). 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.
On this page 9 sections
What 10180 covers
This service involves opening a previously operated wound to drain an infection that requires complex incision and drainage. A surgeon or other physician managing the surgical wound may perform it in an office, outpatient department, or facility. The work centers on the infected postoperative site; it is distinct from draining an uncomplicated skin abscess or evacuating a noninfected fluid collection.
Report 10180 when the operative note supports drainage of a complex infection in a postoperative wound. CMS assigns 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 other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery, 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.
10180 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | $271.27 | $168.50 |
How the 10180 rate is calculated
Each of 10180’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 · 10180
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 2.24Practice expense 5.89Malpractice 0.50
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 10180
10180 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 10180
Wound drainage
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 days after are 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 10180
Wound drainage
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
10180 without 51 · national office
$288.25
Wound drainage
10180-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$144.13
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%).
10180 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
10180 vs 10060 vs 10061 vs 10140: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 10060Abscess drainage
- Choose 10060 for drainage of a simple cutaneous or subcutaneous abscess. Choose 10180 when the infection is in a postoperative wound and requires complex drainage.
- 10061Abscess drainage
- 10061 describes complicated or multiple cutaneous abscess drainage. 10180 identifies complex drainage of a postoperative wound infection.
- 10140Fluid drainage
- 10140 is for drainage of a hematoma, seroma, or fluid collection. 10180 is for a complex infection of a postoperative wound.
10180 billing questions
When should 10180 be selected instead of 10060 or 10061?
Use 10180 for complex drainage of an infected postoperative wound. Codes 10060 and 10061 describe drainage of cutaneous or subcutaneous abscesses, not the postoperative wound infection service.
How does 10180 differ from 10140?
10180 is for a complex infection in a postoperative wound. 10140 is used to drain a hematoma, seroma, or other fluid collection.
What documentation supports reporting 10180?
Document the prior operative site, the wound infection, and the complex incision-and-drainage work performed. The record should distinguish an infected postoperative wound from a simple abscess or an uninfected fluid collection.
Are related postoperative visits included?
Yes. CMS assigns 10180 a 10-day global period, which includes related postoperative visits during those 10 days.
Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery claim be used?
Modifier 50 is inappropriate for 10180. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures performed in the same session are subject to a 50% reduction.
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
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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