This page addresses follow-up questions and additional information pertinent to our webinar
Wound Care Coding: A Patient’s Journey Through Care & Coding
** The coding information and guidance are valid at the time of publishing. Learners are encouraged to research
subsequent official guidance in the areas associated with the topic as they can change rapidly.
Q: What is the main difference between selective and non-selective debridement?
A: Selective debridement targets only the dead, non-viable tissue and leaves the healthy tissue intact. Non-selective debridement does not discriminate — it removes both necrotic tissue and viable, living tissue. This distinction is important not just clinically but also for coding purposes, because the CPT codes differ based on the method used. Selective methods include biological, enzymatic, and autolytic debridement, while non-selective methods include mechanical and sharp debridement.
Q: Why is diabetes considered such a significant complicating factor in wound healing?
A: Diabetes creates multiple barriers to healing all at once. Poor circulation from peripheral arterial disease reduces blood flow and oxygen delivery to the wound. Neuropathy means patients may not feel injuries developing, leading to delayed detection. Impaired immune function makes the body less able to fight infection. And hyperglycemia itself damages blood vessels and reduces collagen synthesis at a cellular level. All of these factors together are why diabetic wounds frequently become chronic and require advanced therapies like HBOT and skin substitutes. From a coding perspective, diabetic ulcers always require combination coding — both the diabetes code and the ulcer code — to tell the full clinical story.
Q: What are the two CPT/HCPCS codes used for billing HBOT, and what is the key difference between them?
A: The two codes are CPT 99183 for the professional component and HCPCS G0277 for the facility component. CPT 99183 covers physician supervision of the hyperbaric oxygen session and is billed once per session regardless of how long the session lasts. G0277 is the facility code and is billed in 30-minute increments — so a 90-minute session would be three units. The key difference is that 99183 is a flat per-session code while G0277 is time-based, which is why accurate start and stop time documentation is absolutely essential for HBOT billing.
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Meet the Presenter: Theresa Rosa, MSIT-HI, RHIA, CCS
Theresa brings more than 15 years of experience in health information management and coding to her role at Haugen Consulting Group. Her career spans leadership roles, where she developed a reputation for excellence in compliant coding and documentation practices, revenue cycle optimization, and coder education. As a Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) and Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), Theresa has overseen inpatient and outpatient coding operations, conducted high-level audits, and led staff development initiatives across multiple medical centers. She has provided policy guidance and coding oversight nationally, co-chairing the VHA National Coding Council and being a subject matter expert for the VHA HIM Program Office.
When a wound care patient is being seen but a CPT code isn’t needed does just a facility code (G0463) get used or does an E/M (99213) code get used along with the facility code?
When no separately billable wound care procedure is performed, the appropriate facility-side charge is generally for the clinic visit itself rather than a procedure code.
Whether the facility reports G0463 (Hospital Outpatient Clinic Visit for assessment and management) or a facility-leveled E/M code depends on the payer. Medicare requires hospitals to report G0463 for outpatient clinic visits, while many commercial payers may instead require a facility-leveled E/M code (such as 99212–99215) based on their individual billing policies and contract requirements.