HCPCS G0168: Wound closureMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Closure of a skin wound with tissue adhesive alone, reported when the wound edges are approximated without sutures or staples.
Medicare pays $110.06–$126.77 for G0168 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 G0168 covers
G0168 represents closure of a skin wound using tissue adhesive alone, rather than sutures or staples. It is commonly used for uncomplicated, clean, low-tension lacerations whose edges can be brought together with adhesive, including selected small cuts on the face or extremities. Physicians, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants may perform the closure in an emergency department, urgent care clinic, or office. When adhesive accompanies sutures or staples as part of a repair, it is not a separate G0168 service.
Report the code for adhesive-only closure and document the wound site, dimensions, condition, approximation, and closure method. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; 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 G0168 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | $110.06 | $13.69 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | $126.77 | $14.48 |
How the G0168 rate is calculated
Each of G0168’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 · G0168
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.30Practice expense 2.79Malpractice 0.07
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for G0168
The CMS indicators that decide how G0168 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · G0168
Wound closure
| 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
G0168 without 51 · national office
$105.55
Wound closure
G0168-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$52.78
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%).
G0168 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
G0168 vs 12001 vs 12011 vs 12002: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 12001Simple wound repair
- G0168 is for tissue-adhesive-only closure. 12001 describes simple repair of a wound on the trunk or extremities, with selection based on the applicable wound length and repair method.
- 12011Wound repair
- G0168 identifies adhesive-only closure. 12011 is a simple repair code for wounds on the face and related sites, selected according to wound length and repair method.
- 12002Wound repair
- G0168 is selected for adhesive-only closure regardless of the simple-repair length category. 12002 describes simple repair of a longer wound on the trunk or extremities.
G0168 billing questions
When should G0168 be chosen instead of a simple repair code?
Use G0168 for closure with tissue adhesive alone. Simple repair codes such as 12001 or 12011 describe repairs selected by wound site and length when a different repair method is used.
Can G0168 be reported when adhesive is used with sutures?
No. When adhesive is used along with sutures or staples in the same repair, it is not a separate G0168 service.
What documentation supports G0168?
Document the wound location and dimensions, its condition and approximation, and that tissue adhesive alone was used for closure.
How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect G0168?
For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. The order of reported procedures does not change that rule.
Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery claim be used?
Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for G0168; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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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