Soft tissue repair · Foot & ankle
Removal of devitalized tissue from a wound without selecting specific tissue, such as wet-to-moist dressings, enzymatic agents, or abrasion, per session.
- Medicare
- $0.00
- Work RVU
- 0
- Global, days
- Region
- Foot & ankle
Documentation requirements
What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 3 cited references ↓
- Debridement method (wet-to-moist, enzymatic, autolytic, abrasion)
- Wound location and size
- Devitalized tissue present
- Wound response
- Reason selective debridement was not used
Applicable modifiers
Modifiers commonly billed with this code.
Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual
What this code covers
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 3 cited references ↓
97602 is non-selective debridement. The method removes dead tissue without the clinician picking out what goes: wet-to-moist dressings, enzymatic ointments, autolytic dressings, or abrasion. It is reported once per session.
Medicare lists it as bundled (status B), so it is not paid separately. If a selective debridement (97597) or a deeper surgical debridement is done in the same session, 97602 adds nothing. Some commercial plans and workers' comp payers still pay it, so check the contract before dropping it from the charge master.
In ortho and podiatry, it shows up with dressing changes on diabetic foot wounds and post-op wound breakdown managed in clinic. Payers do not accept it for simple dressing changes with no debridement effect. Document the method, the wound, and the tissue response. Applying a collagenase ointment and covering it is not debridement unless the note shows its purpose and effect on devitalized tissue.
RVU & reimbursement
Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.
Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026
| Work RVU | 0 |
| Practice expense RVU | 0 |
| Malpractice RVU | 0 |
| Total RVU | 0 |
| Medicare national rate | $0.00 |
| Global period | days |
Payment by site of service
Medicare pays different rates by setting. HOPD typically pays substantially more than ASC for the same procedure.
Source · CMS OPPS Addendum B·ASC HCPCS payment rates·2026
| Setting | Medicare rate (national) |
|---|---|
Office (PFS non-facility) Procedure performed in physician's office | $0.00 |
HOPD (APC 5051) Hospital outpatient department | $204.98 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 97602 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- Medicare bundled status, not separately paid
- Billed with 97597 or 11042 in the same session
- Simple dressing change with no debridement documented
- Payer follows Medicare bundling
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 3 cited references ↓
01Does Medicare pay 97602?
02Can 97602 be billed with 97597?
03Is a dressing change 97602?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources.
Mira Scribe
Mira Scribe records the method, wound, and tissue response, which helps the claim with payers that still reimburse non-selective debridement.
See how Mira captures CPT 97602 documentation