Billing code 11044: Wound debridementMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports wound debridement that reaches devitalized bone, for the first 20 square centimeters or less of treated area.
Medicare pays $326.06–$361.02 for 11044 in the office in Washington, from Rest Of Washington to Seattle (King Cnty). 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 11044 covers
11044 represents operative wound-bed debridement that reaches and removes devitalized bone, with more superficial layers included when removed during the same service. It is commonly used for pressure injuries, diabetic foot ulcers, or other chronic wounds with nonviable bone, including cases involving osteomyelitis. Surgeons, podiatrists, and other clinicians qualified to perform wound debridement may report it in office or facility settings. Exposed bone alone is not enough; the procedure must actually debride bone.
Select the code by the deepest tissue actually removed and the total debrided surface area, not by wound appearance or planned depth. This base code covers up to 20 sq cm; report 11047 for each additional 20 sq cm or portion, and document tissue level, sites, and area. For multiple wounds, aggregate areas treated to the same depth; keep different depths at their corresponding levels. The 0-day global includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are not permitted. Do not append modifier 50.
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 11044 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | $326.06 | $200.14 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | $361.02 | $214.30 |
How the 11044 rate is calculated
Each of 11044’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 · 11044
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
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Work 4.00Practice expense 4.96Malpractice 0.64
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 11044
The CMS indicators that decide how 11044 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 11044
Wound debridement
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
11044 without 51 · national office
$320.65
Wound debridement
11044-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$160.33
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%).
11044 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
11044 vs 11043 vs 11042 vs 11047 vs 11012: national Medicare rates
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How to choose
- 11043Wound debridement
- Choose 11043 when muscle or fascia is the deepest tissue actually debrided. Choose 11044 when the procedure removes bone.
- 11042Wound debridement
- Choose 11042 when debridement stops at subcutaneous tissue. Visible or exposed bone does not establish 11044 unless bone is debrided.
- 11047Bone debridement
- 11044 covers the first 20 sq cm or less. 11047 is the add-on for each additional 20 sq cm or portion at the bone-debridement level.
- 11012Fracture-site debridement
- 11012 is for debridement at an open fracture or dislocation site. For wound debridement to bone outside that circumstance, consider 11044.
11044 billing questions
Does exposed bone support reporting 11044?
Not by itself. The record should show that bone was actually debrided, rather than merely exposed in the wound.
When is 11047 reported with 11044?
Report 11044 for the first 20 sq cm or less debrided to bone, then 11047 for each additional 20 sq cm or portion.
How should the area be calculated for multiple wounds?
Add the areas of wounds debrided to the same tissue depth. Document wounds at different depths separately at their respective levels.
Are more superficial layers separately coded when bone is debrided?
When superficial tissue is removed as part of the same wound debridement, the deepest level reached determines the code; those layers are included.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral bone debridement?
No. Do not append modifier 50; CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this service.
What should the procedure note include?
Record the wound sites, the deepest tissue actually removed, and the surface area debrided. The note should distinguish debridement of bone from bone that was only visible or exposed.
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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