Billing code 12045: Intermediate wound repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports layered closure of qualifying wounds on the neck, hands, feet, or external genitalia when their combined repair length is 12.6 to 20 centimeters.
Medicare pays $445.41–$483.74 for 12045 in the office in Oregon, from Rest Of Oregon to Portland. 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 12045 covers
This code describes intermediate closure of one or more wounds on the neck, hands, feet, or external genitalia, with a combined repair length of 12.6 to 20 centimeters. The repair involves more than skin-edge approximation, such as layered closure that includes subcutaneous tissue or superficial fascia. Physicians and other qualified practitioners commonly perform these repairs in emergency departments, clinics, and operating rooms after traumatic lacerations or wound excisions.
Choose the code based on the wound’s anatomic group, repair complexity, and total repaired length—not length alone. Add lengths of wounds in this anatomic group when determining the code level, and document sites, measurements, tissue layers repaired, and closure technique. Medicare assigns a 10-day global period, including related postoperative visits during that period. When multiple procedures occur 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-surgery and team-surgery payment 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 12045 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | $483.74 | $278.16 |
| Rest Of Oregon | $445.41 | $261.11 |
How the 12045 rate is calculated
Each of 12045’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 · 12045
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 3.66Practice expense 9.22Malpractice 0.70
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 12045
12045 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 12045
Intermediate wound repair
| 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 · 12045
Intermediate wound repair
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
12045 without 51 · national office
$453.58
Intermediate wound repair
12045-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$226.79
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%).
12045 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
12045 vs 12044 vs 12046 vs 12035 vs 12055: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 12044Intermediate repair
- Both codes cover intermediate repair in the same anatomic group. Use 12044 when the combined repaired length falls in its shorter tier rather than the 12.6-to-20-centimeter tier.
- 12046Intermediate repair
- This is the next longer length tier for intermediate repair of the neck, hands, feet, or external genitalia. Select by the combined repaired length.
- 12035Wound repair
- This code is for intermediate repairs in a different anatomic group, including the scalp, trunk, and extremities other than hands and feet. Choose by the repair site, not by length alone.
- 12055Wound repair
- This code covers intermediate repairs of the face and mucous membranes. Use it for those sites rather than the neck, hands, feet, or external genitalia.
12045 billing questions
How is 12045 distinguished from 12044 or 12046?
Use the combined repair length for wounds in this anatomic group. 12044 is for the shorter length tier, while 12046 is for the next longer tier.
Does wound length alone support 12045?
No. The repair must also meet the intermediate-repair criteria, including layered closure beyond simple skin-edge approximation. Document the repaired layers and technique as well as the measurements.
Can separate qualifying wounds be combined to select this code?
Yes. Add the lengths of wounds repaired within this anatomic group to determine the applicable length tier, and document each wound’s site and measurement.
Can modifier 50 be used for wounds on both hands?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; do not use modifier 50 to represent bilateral repairs.
Are related postoperative visits separately payable during the global period?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure payment.
How are other procedures performed in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. CMS also restricts assistant-at-surgery payment and does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery for this code.
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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