CPT code 15003: Wound preparation, each additional area2026 Medicare rate & RVUs
Reports additional surgical preparation of a trunk, arm, or leg wound bed when excision of damaged tissue extends beyond the initial area.
Medicare pays $74.82 for 15003 nationally in the office and $39.75 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $65.87–$93.79.
Medicare rate · 15003
Wound preparation, each additional area
- Work RVUs
- 0.78
- Total RVUs
- 2.24
- Global days
- ZZZ
National rate · 2026
$74.82
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 15003 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →
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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On this page 10 sections
What 15003 covers
This add-on reports further surgical preparation of a wound recipient site on the trunk, an arm, or a leg after the initial area has been reported. The surgeon excises open-wound tissue, burn eschar, or scar, including subcutaneous tissue, to ready the wound bed for grafting or another reconstructive treatment. Plastic, burn, and other surgeons commonly perform this work in an operating room or procedure facility.
Report 15003 for each additional 100 square centimeters, or each additional 1% of body surface area in infants and children, beyond the initial area represented by 15002. The operative record should identify the treated body site, the excised tissue, and the total recipient-site area prepared. CMS classifies 15003 as an add-on: it must be billed with its primary procedure, 15002, and is paid within that procedure’s global period.
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 15003 pays more and less
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
109 payment localities
$65.87 to $93.79
109 of 109 payment localities
15003 rates by state
Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.
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Local rates. Clear comparisons.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
$65.87
$87.92
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
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| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $87.92 | 1 |
| AL | $66.86 | 1 |
| AR | $65.87 | 1 |
| AZ | $72.63 | 1 |
| CA | $76.58–$93.79 | 29 |
| CO | $76.55 | 1 |
| CT | $79.89 | 1 |
| DC | $84.51 | 1 |
| DE | $73.83 | 1 |
| FL | $75.96–$85.76 | 3 |
| GA | $71.36–$76.79 | 2 |
| GU | $78.14 | 1 |
| HI | $78.14 | 1 |
| IA | $67.56 | 1 |
| ID | $68.23 | 1 |
| IL | $74.48–$83.00 | 4 |
| IN | $68.61 | 1 |
| KS | $67.73 | 1 |
| KY | $69.56 | 1 |
| LA | $69.65–$73.11 | 2 |
| MA | $76.28–$83.52 | 2 |
| MD | $75.10–$84.51 | 3 |
| ME | $69.13–$72.21 | 2 |
| MI | $71.87–$77.45 | 2 |
| MN | $71.83 | 1 |
| MO | $68.76–$72.78 | 3 |
| MS | $67.31 | 1 |
| MT | $74.81 | 1 |
| NC | $69.78 | 1 |
| ND | $71.25 | 1 |
| NE | $67.79 | 1 |
| NH | $75.82 | 1 |
| NJ | $80.38–$83.71 | 2 |
| NM | $72.48 | 1 |
| NV | $73.86 | 1 |
| NY | $70.89–$89.72 | 5 |
| OH | $71.15 | 1 |
| OK | $68.90 | 1 |
| OR | $72.86–$78.44 | 2 |
| PA | $70.98–$78.20 | 2 |
| PR | $75.20 | 1 |
| RI | $76.07 | 1 |
| SC | $70.67 | 1 |
| SD | $70.83 | 1 |
| TN | $68.14 | 1 |
| TX | $70.54–$76.99 | 8 |
| UT | $71.64 | 1 |
| VA | $72.32–$84.51 | 2 |
| VI | $75.20 | 1 |
| VT | $71.42 | 1 |
| WA | $75.99–$84.73 | 2 |
| WI | $68.86 | 1 |
| WV | $71.81 | 1 |
| WY | $73.25 | 1 |
How the 15003 rate is calculated
Each of 15003’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 · 15003
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.78
0.78 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.28
1.28 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.18
0.18 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
2.2400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$74.82
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15003
The CMS indicators that decide how 15003 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 15003
Wound preparation, each additional area
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| 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. |
15003 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 15002Wound preparationTrunk, arms, or legs
- Use 15002 for the initial qualifying area on the trunk, arms, or legs; use 15003 only for additional qualifying area and only with 15002.
- 15005Wound preparationAdditional area, face or hand
- 15005 covers additional recipient-site preparation at specified sites including the face, scalp, hands, and feet; 15003 is for the trunk, arms, or legs.
- 11042Wound debridementSubcutaneous tissue, first 20 sq cm
- 11042 reports debridement by depth and tissue removed. 15003 reports surgical preparation of a recipient site for reconstruction, measured by additional area.
15003 billing questions
When is 15003 reported instead of 15002?
15002 represents the initial qualifying area on the trunk, arms, or legs. Report 15003 for each additional 100 square centimeters, or each additional 1% of body surface area in infants and children.
Can 15003 be billed by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with 15002 for the initial area.
Does wound-bed preparation include the graft placement?
No. The preparation describes excision to ready the recipient site; graft or other reconstructive treatment is a separate service when performed and reportable.
What documentation supports additional units?
Document the anatomic site, the tissue excised, and the total recipient-site area prepared. The recorded area should support each additional 100-square-centimeter increment or, for an infant or child, each additional 1% body-surface-area increment.
How does the global-period rule affect 15003?
CMS treats 15003 as an add-on paid within the primary procedure’s global period. It is not reported as a standalone service.
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.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
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