Billing code 12032: Intermediate repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Report this code for a 2.6–7.5 cm intermediate layered repair of wounds on the scalp, axillae, trunk, or qualifying extremities.
Medicare pays $280.51–$311.24 for 12032 in the office in Texas, from Beaumont to Austin. 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 12032 covers
This code covers intermediate closure of wounds on the scalp, axillae, trunk, or extremities, excluding the hands and feet. The repair typically uses layered sutures to close deeper tissue and skin; it can also describe a single-layer closure of a heavily contaminated wound that required extensive cleaning. Emergency physicians, surgeons, and other clinicians who repair acute lacerations commonly perform the service in emergency departments, clinics, and outpatient settings.
Select the code by repair complexity, eligible anatomic group, and total repaired length. Document each wound’s location and length, the layers closed, and, when relevant, the contamination and extensive cleaning that support intermediate repair. Add lengths of wounds that share the same repair classification and anatomic grouping. Related postoperative visits are included in the 10-day global period. For multiple procedures in one session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted, 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 12032 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 payment localities
$280.51 to $311.24
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $311.24 | $168.48 |
| Beaumont | $280.51 | $157.71 |
| Brazoria | $296.81 | $163.08 |
| Dallas | $298.61 | $164.21 |
| Fort Worth | $296.63 | $163.58 |
| Galveston | $297.64 | $163.65 |
| Houston | $302.40 | $168.40 |
| Rest Of Texas | $288.43 | $160.38 |
How the 12032 rate is calculated
Each of 12032’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 · 12032
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.46
2.46 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.26
6.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.26
0.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
8.9800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$299.94
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 12032
12032 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 12032
Intermediate 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 · 12032
Intermediate 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
12032 without 51 · national office
$299.94
Intermediate repair
12032-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$149.97
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%).
12032 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 12031Wound repair
- Use 12031 when the total qualifying intermediate-repair length is 2.5 cm or less; this code begins at 2.6 cm.
- 12034Wound repair
- Use 12034 when the total qualifying length is 7.6–12.5 cm. This code is for 2.6–7.5 cm.
- 12042Intermediate wound repair
- Both represent intermediate repair in the 2.6–7.5 cm range, but 12042 covers a different anatomic group, including the neck, hands, feet, and external genitalia.
- 12052Wound repair
- 12052 is for intermediate repairs of the face and related listed sites, with a 2.6–5.0 cm length range; this code covers scalp, axillae, trunk, and eligible extremities.
12032 billing questions
How do I distinguish this code from 12031 or 12034?
All three describe intermediate repairs in the same anatomic group. Choose 12031 for a total length of 2.5 cm or less, this code for 2.6–7.5 cm, and 12034 for 7.6–12.5 cm.
Which wound locations qualify?
Use this code for the scalp, axillae, trunk, or eligible extremities. Hands and feet are assigned to a different intermediate-repair anatomic group.
Can I add together the lengths of multiple wounds?
Yes, total the lengths of wounds with the same repair classification and anatomic grouping. Document the location and length of each wound.
Is a layered closure required?
Intermediate repair generally involves layered closure of deeper tissue and skin. A single-layer closure may qualify when the wound is heavily contaminated and required extensive cleaning.
Can modifier 50 be used for wounds on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; do not use modifier 50 for a bilateral payment adjustment.
Are postoperative visits included?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure payment.
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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