CPT code 15151: Cultured skin graft, additional 100 sq cm2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports additional trunk, arm, or leg area covered with cultured autologous skin beyond the initial area reported with the primary graft code.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $125.25 for 15151 nationally in the office and $97.53 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $111.03–$153.14.

Medicare rate · 15151

Cultured skin graft, additional 100 sq cm

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
1.95
Total RVUs
3.75
Global days
ZZZ

National rate · 2026

$125.25

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 15151 →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.

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 15151 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 15151 covers

Code 15151 captures additional treated area when cultured autologous skin is used to cover a burn or another large skin defect on the trunk, arms, or legs. The graft is prepared by expanding cells from the patient’s own skin sample and then applying the cultured tissue to the wound, typically in burn or reconstructive surgery by a burn or plastic surgeon.

Report 15151 only with 15150, the primary code for the initial treated area. Each unit represents an additional 100 sq cm or part thereof; for infants and children, the corresponding additional-area measure is each 1% of body surface area and is reported with 15152. Document the graft type, body site, total area treated, and the additional area supporting the units billed. Medicare pays this add-on within the primary 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 15151 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

$111.03 to $153.14

$111.03$132.08$153.14
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

15151 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$112.58$88.32
Alaska$153.14$123.62
Arizona$121.50$94.64
Arkansas$111.03$87.22
Atlanta, GA$129.50$101.33
Austin, TX$126.00$96.67
Bakersfield, CA$124.13$93.75
Baltimore area, MD$133.42$103.68
Beaumont, TX$120.16$94.93
Brazoria, TX$121.71$94.24

15151 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

$111.03

$153.14

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
15151 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$153.141
AL$112.581
AR$111.031
AZ$121.501
CA$122.78–$143.8629
CO$125.161
CT$133.411
DC$138.391
DE$123.371
FL$131.74–$152.573
GA$123.77–$129.502
GU$124.171
HI$124.171
IA$111.491
ID$112.981
IL$130.88–$147.554
IN$113.501
KS$112.801
KY$119.011
LA$119.56–$124.962
MA$125.21–$134.512
MD$125.06–$138.393
ME$115.47–$118.702
MI$123.63–$135.192
MN$114.761
MO$118.83–$123.203
MS$114.861
MT$125.221
NC$116.321
ND$115.331
NE$111.521
NH$124.951
NJ$133.47–$137.442
NM$125.011
NV$122.511
NY$118.12–$151.945
OH$121.611
OK$116.881
OR$120.12–$126.842
PA$120.77–$131.432
PR$125.481
RI$126.121
SC$119.451
SD$114.161
TN$113.571
TX$120.16–$131.758
UT$120.941
VA$119.61–$138.392
VI$125.481
VT$116.571
WA$124.41–$135.312
WI$111.871
WV$126.761
WY$120.911

How the 15151 rate is calculated

Each of 15151’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 · 15151

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work1.95

1.95 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense1.30

1.30 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.50

0.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

3.7500

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$125.25

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 15151

The CMS indicators that decide how 15151 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 15151

Cultured skin graft, additional 100 sq cm

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global periodZZZAdd-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period.
Multiple procedures0No multiple-procedure reduction.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

15151 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 15151

    Cultured skin graft, additional 100 sq cm1.95 wRVU

    $125.25

  • 15150

    Cultured skin graft, trunk, arms, or legs9.16 wRVU

    $763.54+$638.29

  • 15152

    Cultured skin graft, each additional 1% body area2.44 wRVU

    $154.31+$29.06

  • 15156

    Cultured skin graft, additional 100 sq cm2.68 wRVU

    $168.67+$43.42

  • 15101

    Skin graft, additional area, trunk or limb1.68 wRVU

    $201.41+$76.16

How to choose

15150Cultured skin graftTrunk, arms, or legs
15150 reports the initial cultured graft area on the trunk, arms, or legs. Use 15151 only for additional area beyond that initial amount.
15152Cultured skin graftEach additional 1% body area
15152 reports additional area in 1% body-surface increments for infants and children; 15151 reports additional 100 sq cm increments or part thereof.
15156Cultured skin graftAdditional 100 sq cm
15156 reports additional cultured graft area at the face, scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia. Code 15151 is for the trunk, arms, or legs.
15101Skin graftAdditional area, trunk or limb
15101 reports additional area treated with a split-thickness skin graft. Code 15151 is for additional area treated with cultured autologous skin.

15151 billing questions

Can 15151 be reported without 15150?

No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with 15150 for the initial cultured skin graft area on the trunk, arms, or legs.

How is the number of units determined?

Report one unit for each additional 100 sq cm or part thereof beyond the initial area. For infants and children measured by body surface area, use 15152 for each additional 1% instead.

When should 15152 be used instead?

Use 15152 for additional cultured skin graft area on the trunk, arms, or legs when the area is measured in 1% increments of an infant’s or child’s body surface area. Code 15151 represents additional 100 sq cm increments.

Does 15151 have its own global period?

Medicare pays this add-on within the global period of the primary procedure, 15150.

What documentation supports the units?

Record the cultured autologous graft, treated body site, total area covered, and the additional area beyond the initial area. The measured area should support each unit billed.

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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 15151PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 1,499 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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