The 2023 CPT changes on hernia repair coding significantly boost reimbursement for academic surgeons dealing with larger hernias.

• Academic centers saw a quarterly increase of 1.98 work relative value units (WRVUs) after the revisions, while nonacademic centers remained stable.
• For large repairs (>10 cm), WRVUs increased by 1.80. Smaller hernias (<3 cm) showed no change.

Surgeons should prepare for differentiated reimbursement impacts based on the complexity of repairs and practice settings.

• Monitoring coding changes will be critical to understanding their effects on practice patterns and outcomes.