$137.05–$155.13
11042 applies when subcutaneous tissue is removed and is sized by the area debrided at that depth. 97597 covers selective removal from the wound surface, epidermis, or dermis without removal of subcutaneous tissue.
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CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
97597 Selective wound debridement Medicare reimbursement rates in Washington
Selective removal of devitalized tissue, fibrin, slough, or biofilm from an open wound, reported once per session for the first 20 square centimeters of total treated surface. Compare 97597 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Washington.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 97597 in Washington?
Washington has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$105.43–$119.47
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
Facility setting
$31.22–$33.00
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Wound care
About 97597: Selective open wound debridement, first 20 sq cm
Selective removal of devitalized tissue, fibrin, slough, or biofilm from an open wound, reported once per session for the first 20 square centimeters of total treated surface.
This service removes nonviable material from an open wound surface without removing subcutaneous tissue. Targets include fibrin, slough, exudate, debris, biofilm, and devitalized epidermis or dermis. Common methods are sharp selective debridement with forceps, scissors, scalpel, or curette, and high-pressure waterjet. The service includes wound assessment, topical applications, and instructions for ongoing care. Physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, podiatrists, and physical therapists perform it in wound care clinics, offices, outpatient therapy departments, and nursing facilities. Typical wounds are diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, pressure injuries, and slow-healing surgical wounds.
Report one unit per session for the first 20 sq cm or less of combined surface area across all wounds selectively debrided. Use 97598 for each additional 20 sq cm or part of it. Documentation should give each wound's location and length times width, the tissue removed, the instrument or method, and the depth reached. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day pre- and post-procedure care is included. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; no bilateral adjustment is available. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted. An assistant is paid only when medical necessity is documented.
CMS billing rules for 97597
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.75 · 25%
- Practice expense (office) RVU2.24 · 74%
- Malpractice RVU0.05 · 2%
684.9K
Medicare services in 2024 · #187 by national volume
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.
97597 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Washington, from the same CMS release.
97602
No office rateWound(s) care non-selective
97602 is nonselective, for example enzymatic, wet-to-moist, or abrasion, and removes tissue without precise targeting. 97597 uses sharp instruments or waterjet to selectively remove material from the wound surface.
$49.05–$54.89
97598 is the add-on for each additional 20 sq cm beyond the first and is never reported alone. 97597 is reported once per session for the first 20 sq cm.
Compare 97597 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
2 of 2 payment localities
Rest Of Washington →
Office / nonfacility
$105.43
Facility
$31.22
Seattle (King Cnty) →
Office / nonfacility
$119.47
Facility
$33.00
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97597 billing questions
How is wound size calculated when several wounds are debrided?
Add together the surface areas of all wounds that receive selective debridement in the session. Report 97597 once for the first 20 sq cm. Report 97598 for each additional 20 sq cm or part of it.
When should 11042 be reported instead of 97597?
Use 11042 when debridement removes subcutaneous tissue. Use 97597 when selective debridement removes material from the wound surface, epidermis, or dermis without removing subcutaneous tissue. Do not report both for the same wound.
Can 97602 be billed with 97597 for the same wound?
Do not report nonselective debridement under 97602 in addition to selective debridement under 97597 for the same wound in the same session.
Is a same-day E/M visit separately billable?
Assessment of the wound being debrided is included in the service. A significant, separately identifiable E/M service may be reported with modifier 25, but the note must support work beyond the debridement.
What modifier applies when a physical therapist performs the debridement?
When a physical therapist provides it under a therapy plan of care, Medicare expects the GP therapy modifier on the claim line.
What documentation supports the service?
Record each wound's location, length and width measurements, the tissue type removed, the instrument or method, and the depth reached. Also document the patient's tolerance and the ongoing care instructions given.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
12,89697550,,Caregiver traing 1st 30 min,A,,1.00,0.57,,0.18,,0.01,1.58,1.19,0,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,89797551,,Caregiver traing ea addl 15,A,,0.54,0.24,,0.09,,0.00,0.78,0.63,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,89897552,,Group caregiver training,A,,0.23,0.42,,0.04,,0.01,0.66,0.28,0,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,89997597,,Dbrdmt opn wnd 1st 20 cm/<,A,,0.75,2.24,,0.13,,0.05,3.04,0.93,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,90097598,,Dbrdmt opn wnd addl 20cm/<,A,,0.49,0.88,,0.10,,0.06,1.43,0.65,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,90197602,,Wound(s) care non-selective,B,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,90297605,,Neg prs wnd ther dme<=50sqcm,A,,0.54,0.71,,0.08,,0.01,1.26,0.63,0,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00