CPT code 15002: Wound preparation, trunk, arms, or legs2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports surgical excision of wound, burn eschar, or scar to prepare a trunk or limb recipient site for grafting or similar reconstruction.
Medicare pays $331.81–$352.43 for 15002 in the office in Missouri, from Rest of Missouri to Metropolitan St. Louis, MO. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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What 15002 covers
A surgeon excises an open wound, burn eschar, or scar, including subcutaneous tissue, to create a recipient site for reconstruction on the trunk, an arm, or a leg. This preparation may be performed for burn injuries, traumatic wounds, or scarred areas before grafting. Plastic, burn, and reconstructive surgeons commonly perform it in an operating room or other procedure setting. The code captures preparation of the recipient bed, not placement of the graft or substitute.
Select the code by the treated surface area and the applicable anatomic site: 15002 covers the initial 100 square centimeters, or the initial 1% of body surface area in infants and children. Document the site, measured area, wound or scar tissue removed, and preparation performed. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. Bilateral adjustment is inappropriate. An assistant at surgery is paid only when medical necessity is documented; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
Where 15002 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
3 payment localities
$331.81 to $352.43
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | $349.00 | $193.12 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | $352.43 | $194.40 |
| Rest of Missouri | $331.81 | $188.71 |
How the 15002 rate is calculated
Each of 15002’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 15002
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work3.56
3.56 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.66
6.66 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.65
0.65 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
10.8700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$363.07
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15002
The CMS indicators that decide how 15002 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 15002
Wound preparation, trunk, arms, or legs
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
15002 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 15003Wound preparationEach additional area
- 15002 covers the initial treated area on the trunk or limbs; 15003 is the add-on for each additional area increment.
- 15004Wound preparationFace, hands, feet, and similar sites
- Choose 15004 when the recipient site is at its specified head, neck, genital, hand, or foot locations rather than the trunk or limbs.
- 15100Skin graftTrunk, arms, or legs
- 15002 describes recipient-site preparation. 15100 describes placement of a split-thickness skin graft on the trunk or limbs.
15002 billing questions
When should 15002 be chosen instead of 15004?
Use 15002 for recipient-site preparation on the trunk, arms, or legs. Code 15004 is for preparation at the face, scalp, eyelids, mouth, neck, ears, orbits, genitalia, hands, or feet.
Does 15002 include graft placement?
No. It describes surgical preparation of the recipient site; a separately performed graft or skin-substitute application is represented by its own applicable code.
When is 15003 reported with 15002?
15003 is the add-on for each additional 100 square centimeters, or each additional 1% of body surface area in infants and children, beyond the initial area covered by 15002.
Can modifier 50 be used for preparation on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for 15002. Report the service according to the applicable site and area descriptors.
What documentation supports 15002?
Record the anatomic site, wound or scar condition, tissue excised, preparation performed, and treated surface area. For an assistant at surgery, document medical necessity.
Can a co-surgeon or surgical team report 15002?
No. CMS does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery for this code. An assistant at surgery is payable only with documentation of medical necessity.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
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