CPT 97010: Hot and Cold Packs (Bundled)
CPT 97010 reports application of hot or cold packs. On the Medicare fee schedule it carries status B — bundled — so it is never separately payable. Its value is considered part of another service billed the same day, and billed alone it is automatically denied. Document it, but expect no separate payment.
- Code type
- Supervised modality (untimed)
- 2026 Medicare
- Bundled — no separate payment
- PFS status
- B (bundled/excluded from separate payment)
- Billed alone?
- Auto-denied — attach to a payable therapy code
What is CPT 97010 used for?
CPT 97010 reports the application of hot or cold packs — a supervised, untimed modality often used to prepare tissue before, or soothe it after, skilled therapy. Clinically it is common. Financially it is a special case: on the Medicare fee schedule it is a status B (bundled) code, so Medicare never pays for it as a standalone line.
Why is 97010 never paid separately?
Status B means the service is always bundled into another payable service furnished the same day. Medicare views hot and cold packs as preparatory, incidental, or supportive to the skilled therapy — not a separately reimbursable procedure. The result is consistent:
- Billed alone, 97010 is automatically denied.
- Billed with another therapy code, its value is absorbed into that code with no added payment.
How should you handle 97010 on a claim?
- Provide and document the hot/cold pack as clinically appropriate.
- If you report the code, pair it with a payable service such as 97110 or 97140 so it is not billed in isolation.
- Expect a zero allowance from Medicare, and never balance-bill a Medicare patient for the bundled amount.
Confirm any payer's treatment of the code before assuming payment; your locality-adjusted rates for the payable codes are in the Medicare fee calculator.
Do commercial payers ever pay for 97010?
Some commercial and workers' compensation plans allow a small amount for 97010, while many mirror Medicare and bundle it under their own NCCI-based edits. Because the treatment varies, verify each contract. Relying on 97010 for revenue is a mistake — its clinical documentation value is real, but its payment value under Medicare is zero, and building it into expected reimbursement inflates your projections.
Frequently asked questions
97010 has a status B (bundled) indicator on the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, meaning its payment is always included in another service. It is considered preparatory, incidental, or supportive to skilled therapy, so Medicare never pays it separately — whether billed alone or with other codes.
You may report it to document the care delivered and to satisfy some payers' data needs, but expect zero separate reimbursement from Medicare. Do not append modifiers to try to force payment; a status B code cannot be unbundled into a separate payment.
Some do, some do not. Many commercial and workers' compensation plans follow Medicare and bundle it; others allow a small allowance. Check each payer's policy before assuming it is payable, and never balance-bill a Medicare patient for a bundled code.
Sources & further reading
Reviewed by the ImmediCare Solutions RCM team
Certified billers and coders handling claims across 50+ specialties nationwide. This entry is reviewed against current payer policy and CMS rules. Last review: Jul 5, 2026.
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