Wound Imaging and Noninvasive Wound Therapy — CPB 0372 | AETNA Coverage Update

Aetna modified CPB 0372 covering wound imaging and noninvasive wound therapy, effective September 26, 2025. Every code in this policy — CPT 0598T, 0599T, 97610, 0906T, 0907T, 0061U, 0972T, plus HCPCS A6000, E0231, and E0232 — lands in the "not covered" column. Here's what that means for your billing team.

Aetna, a CVS Health company, updated this coverage policy to address two distinct technology categories: noncontact fluorescence wound imaging (CPT 0598T and 0599T) and noncontact normothermic wound therapy (HCPCS A6000, E0231, E0232). The policy also sweeps in newer wound-related Category III codes — including concurrent optical and magnetic stimulation therapy (0906T/0907T) and algorithmic burn healing classification (0972T). None of them get reimbursement under this policy. If your wound care program relies on any of these technologies for Aetna patients, your claims are at risk.

Quick-Reference Table

Aetna Wound Imaging and Noninvasive Wound Therapy Coverage Criteria and Medical Necessity Requirements 2025

The core finding in CPB 0372 Aetna is unambiguous: Aetna does not consider any of the wound imaging or noninvasive wound therapy technologies in this policy to meet medical necessity criteria for covered indications. That's the entire scope of this bulletin — not a partial coverage determination, not a conditional approval. Every procedure code listed is grouped under "CPT codes not covered for indications listed in the CPB" or the equivalent HCPCS grouping.

This matters for wound care billing in a specific way. The ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes in this policy cover a wide range of wound-related conditions — diabetic patients with neurological and circulatory complications (E10.40–E11.69), pressure ulcers (L89.x), varicose vein ulcers (I83.x), atherosclerotic lower extremity disease with ulceration and gangrene (I70.231–I70.269), cellulitis and abscesses (L02.x, L03.x), and peripheral vascular disease (I73.9). These are exactly the diagnoses your wound care team sees every day. The point is that even the most clearly appropriate clinical scenario — a diabetic foot ulcer with suspected bacterial burden, for example — doesn't change Aetna's coverage position on fluorescence imaging or noncontact warming therapy.

There's no pathway to coverage through prior authorization under this policy. Prior authorization doesn't apply here because the services aren't covered at all. If your team has been submitting prior auth requests for CPT 0598T or 0599T with Aetna patients, stop. Those approvals aren't coming, and you're losing time chasing them.

The Aetna wound imaging coverage policy also explicitly calls out low frequency non-contact non-thermal ultrasound (CPT 97610) as not covered. That's a code some wound care practices have been billing with increasing frequency over the last several years. If your charge capture still has 97610 mapped for Aetna, that's a direct path to claim denial.

Aetna Wound Imaging and Noninvasive Wound Therapy Exclusions and Non-Covered Indications

Every procedure code in CPB 0372 is classified as not covered. The policy addresses technologies that Aetna considers experimental, investigational, or unproven for wound care applications. Here's a breakdown by technology category.

Noncontact fluorescence wound imaging — CPT 0598T (first session) and 0599T (subsequent sessions) — uses real-time imaging to detect bacterial presence, location, and load in wounds. This technology has been marketed to wound care programs as a way to guide debridement and antibiotic decisions. Aetna doesn't buy the clinical evidence.

Noncontact normothermic wound therapy — HCPCS A6000 (wound cover), E0231 (temperature control device), and E0232 (warming card) — is the durable medical equipment side of this policy. This equipment is specifically designed for noncontact wound warming. Aetna excludes all three components from coverage. DME suppliers billing Aetna for this equipment should flag these codes immediately.

Low frequency non-contact non-thermal ultrasound — CPT 97610 — applies topical ultrasound energy to wounds. It's been around long enough that some billing teams assume it's settled coverage. It isn't — not with Aetna.

Concurrent optical and magnetic stimulation (COMS) therapy — CPT 0906T (first application) and add-on 0907T (each additional application, wound surface area ≤50 sq cm) — is a newer technology. It's not covered.

Transcutaneous biomarker measurement — CPT 0061U, which measures five biomarkers including tissue oxygenation (StO2) and oxyhemoglobin (ctHbO2) — is also excluded. This is a proprietary lab code, and it's not covered under this policy.

Assistive algorithmic classification of burn healing — CPT 0972T, which uses noninvasive multispectral imaging to classify wounds as healing or nonhealing — is excluded.

Coverage Indications at a Glance

Aetna Wound Imaging and Noninvasive Wound Therapy Billing Guidelines and Action Items 2025

This policy is about protecting your revenue and avoiding unnecessary denials. Here's what to do before and after the September 26, 2025 effective date.

CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-10 Codes for Wound Imaging and Noninvasive Wound Therapy Under CPB 0372

Not Covered CPT Codes

Not Covered HCPCS Codes

Key ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Codes Referenced in CPB 0372

These are the wound-related diagnoses addressed in this policy. Aetna's non-coverage determination applies across all of them.

The full ICD-10 code list in CPB 0372 contains 160 codes. The ranges above represent the primary clinical categories. Review the full policy at Aetna CPB 0372 for the complete code-level detail.