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InsightHorizon Digest

What is the difference between 11042 and 97597

Author

Emma Miller

Updated on April 21, 2026

Coding Guidelines 1. Active wound care, performed with minimal anesthesia is billed with either CPT code 97597 or 97598. 2. Debridement of a wound, performed before the application of a topical or local anesthesia is billed with CPT codes 11042 – 11047.

What is the difference between CPT codes 97597 and 11042?

Coding Guidelines 1. Active wound care, performed with minimal anesthesia is billed with either CPT code 97597 or 97598. 2. Debridement of a wound, performed before the application of a topical or local anesthesia is billed with CPT codes 11042 – 11047.

What does CPT code 11042 mean?

11042 CPT Code Description: Debridement, subcutaneous tissue (includes epidermis and dermis, if performed); first 20 sq cm or less (For debridement of skin (i.e., epidermis and/or dermis only), use 97597, 97598)

When do you use 97597?

CPT codes 97597 and 97598 are used for wet-to-dry dressings, application of medications with enzymes to dissolve dead tissue, whirlpool baths, minor removal of loose fragments with scissors, scraping away tissue with sharp instruments, debridement with pulse lavage, high-pressure irrigation, incision, and drainage.

Does 97597 require a modifier?

One would bill CPT 97598 in 20 cm² increments or portion thereof. These wounds can be anywhere on the body. There are no bilateral T or F modifiers required. Furthermore, if you only bill these two codes together, there is no need to append any modifiers such as a 59 modifier to CPT 97598 when billing with CPT 97597.

Does 11042 require a modifier?

Wound Debridement Reminders: 1) CPT 11042-11047 carry zero global days. 2) CPT 11045, CPT 11046 and CPT 11047 are all add-on codes; therefore, they are Modifier 51 exempt.

Is 11042 covered by Medicare?

Dressings applied to the wound are part of the service for CPT codes 11000-11012 and 11042-11047 and may not be billed separately. Medicare does not separately reimburse for dressing changes or patient/caregiver training in the care of the wound.

Is 97597 a physical therapy Code?

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Codes (i.e. 97597, 97598, 97602)

Does Medicare pay for 97597?

Medicare reimburses physicians according to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), which is based on Relative Value Units (RVUs) and payment varies by geographical region. Wound Care and Debridement are reported with CPT® codes 97597, 97598 and 11042-11047.

Does CPT 97597 have a global period?

The third major change is that all of the primary CPT debridement codes (97597, 11042, 11043, and 11044) now have a 0-day global period. Previously, CPT codes 11043 and 11044 were assigned a 10-day global period by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

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What is debridement?

Debridement is a procedure for treating a wound in the skin. It involves thoroughly cleaning the wound and removing all hyperkeratotic (thickened skin or callus), infected, and nonviable (necrotic or dead) tissue, foreign debris, and residual material from dressings.

What is the global period for CPT 11042?

The payment for 11043 is almost five times more than the payment for 11042 (debridement of skin and subcutaneous tissue only) when performed in a hospital or ambulatory surgery center and is based on 45 minutes of intraservice physician work and has a 10 day global period (payment for 11042 is based on 15 minutes of …

What is the ICD 10 code for debridement?

Encounter for surgical aftercare following surgery on the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Z48. 817 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes.

Is Eschar necrotic tissue?

Eschar is a type of necrotic tissue that is dryer than slough, adheres to the wound bed, and has a spongy or leather-like appearance.

What is G0463 used for?

HCPCS Code G0463 is used for all FACILITY evaluation and management visits, regardless of the intensity of service provided.

Can physical therapists bill for wound care?

A physician, NPP or therapist acting within their scope of practice and licensure may provide debridement services and use the. These codes must only be billed for services that include medically necessary skilled debridement services.

Is closure included in debridement?

A complex wound repair code includes the repair of a wound requiring more than a layered closure (e.g., scar revision or debridement), extensive undermining, stents, or retention sutures. It may also include debridement and repair of complicated lacerations or avulsions.

Does Medicare pay for debridement?

Medicare covers and pays for surgical debridement services furnished by physicians and other licensed practitioners within the scope of their practice under State law. 3 In some States, this includes nonphysician practitioners, such as nurse practitioners and physicians’ assistants.

What is non selective debridement?

Nonselective debridement is the gradual removal of nonviable tissue and is generally not performed by a physician.

How do you code debridement?

Debridement of a wound, performed before the application of a topical or local anesthesia is billed with CPT codes 11042 – 11047. Wound debridements (11042-11047) are reported by depth of tissue that is removed and by surface area of the wound.

What is a full thickness debridement?

Many full thickness wounds contain a lot of dead tissue. Debridement is the process of removing this dead tissue, which can be accomplished using irrigation, scissors or scalpel, or certain enzymatic chemicals. Since full thickness wounds tend to be very deep, they often need to be packed with gauze.

How do you calculate debridement area?

If the entire wound surface has been debrided, the surface area is determined by the square centimeters of the wound after the debridement has been completed. If only a portion of the wound is debrided, report only the measurement of the area actually debrided.

What is active wound care?

Active wound care is performed to remove devitalized and/or necrotic tissue to promote healing of a wound on the skin. These services are billed when an extensive cleaning of a wound is needed prior to the application of dressings or skin substitutes placed over or onto a wound that is attached with dressings.

Does Medicare pay CPT 97602?

97602 CPT Code Description 97602 CPT code is assigned a status of B under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). When this service is provided by a discipline that receives reimbursement based on the MPFS, this code is not separately reportable or payable, meaning that it is not separately payable under Medicare.

What is a distinct procedural service?

Modifier 59 Distinct Procedural Service indicates that a procedure is separate and distinct from another procedure on the same date of service. Typically, this modifier is applied to a procedure code that is not ordinarily paid separately from the first procedure but should be paid per the specifics of the situation.

Can you bill 99211 for dressing change?

If the dressing change is performed by nursing staff under incident-to conditions, you may use code 99211. When performed by a physician, dressing changes for burns and debridement of burn tissue should be reported using codes 16020–16030, depending on the size of the burn.

Can you bill for Unna boot supplies?

All supply items related to the Unna boot are inclusive in the reimbursement for CPT code 29580. When both a debridement is performed and an Unna boot is applied, only the debridement may be reimbursed.

How do you bill an Unna boot?

The Unna boot (CPT code 29580) is a single-layer system paste bandage that consists of gauze impregnated with zinc oxide, gelatin, glycerin, and sometimes calamine.

What is the difference between 97605 and 97607?

The 2019 Medicare national average allowable rate for 97605 is $176.45 while the rate for 97607 is $314.08. The difference in these allowable rates clearly explains why the hospital CFO found that the PBD was losing money.

What is devitalized tissue?

Necrotic tissue is dead or devitalized tissue. This tissue cannot be salvaged and must be removed to allow wound healing to take place. Slough is yellowish and soft and is composed of pus and fibrin containing leukocytes and bacteria. This tissue often adheres to the wound bed and cannot be easily removed.

What is mechanical debridement?

Mechanical debridement is a nonselective type of debridement, meaning that it will remove both devitalized tissue and debris as well as viable tissue. It is usually carried using mechanical force: wet-to-dry, pulsatile lavage, or wound irrigation.