CPT code 15156: Cultured skin graft, additional 100 sq cm2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports each additional 100 square centimeters of cultured autologous skin graft applied to wounds on specified special sites, with code 15155 as the primary procedure.
Medicare pays $164.52–$192.02 for 15156 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. 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 15156 covers
This add-on covers application of additional cultured autologous skin graft to wounds on the face, scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia. Burn and reconstructive surgeons commonly use cultured skin grafting to cover extensive burns or other wounds after excision, when the patient’s own skin cells have been expanded for grafting. The code represents additional wound area beyond the initial area reported with the primary service.
Report 15156 with 15155 for each additional 100 sq cm of qualifying wound area. For infants and children when area is measured by body surface area, code 15157 represents each additional 1%; do not use 15156 for that increment. Documentation should identify the graft as cultured autologous tissue, the treated anatomic sites, and the total wound surface area supporting the additional units. CMS classifies 15156 as an add-on code and pays it 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 15156 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 payment localities
$164.52 to $192.02
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $166.43 | $129.45 |
| Chico, CA | $164.52 | $127.54 |
| El Centro, CA | $164.63 | $127.66 |
| Fresno, CA | $164.52 | $127.54 |
| Hanford, CA | $164.52 | $127.54 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $174.52 | $134.61 |
| Madera, CA | $164.52 | $127.54 |
| Marin County, CA | $187.08 | $139.52 |
| Merced, CA | $164.52 | $127.54 |
| Modesto, CA | $164.52 | $127.54 |
| Napa, CA | $180.28 | $135.82 |
| Oxnard, CA | $172.33 | $132.46 |
| Redding, CA | $164.52 | $127.54 |
| Rest of California | $164.52 | $127.54 |
| Riverside, CA | $172.12 | $135.15 |
| Sacramento, CA | $169.93 | $130.70 |
| Salinas, CA | $169.26 | $130.16 |
| San Benito County, CA | $192.02 | $143.38 |
| San Diego, CA | $171.37 | $131.02 |
| San Francisco, CA | $186.28 | $138.71 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $166.90 | $128.48 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $188.73 | $140.08 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $171.47 | $130.48 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $169.38 | $130.05 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $173.00 | $131.57 |
| Stockton, CA | $164.52 | $127.54 |
| Vallejo, CA | $179.12 | $134.65 |
| Visalia, CA | $164.52 | $127.54 |
| Yuba City, CA | $164.52 | $127.54 |
How the 15156 rate is calculated
Each of 15156’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 · 15156
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.68
2.68 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.66
1.66 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.71
0.71 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
5.0500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$168.67
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15156
The CMS indicators that decide how 15156 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 15156
Cultured skin graft, additional 100 sq cm
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
15156 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 15155Cultured allograftFace and other special sites
- 15155 reports the initial cultured-graft area at the specified sites; 15156 reports each additional 100 sq cm and is used with 15155.
- 15157Skin substitute graftAdditional 1% body area
- Use 15157 for each additional 1% body-surface-area increment in infants and children. Use 15156 for each additional 100 sq cm.
- 15120Skin graftSpecial sites, initial area
- 15120 describes a split-thickness autograft, not a cultured autologous skin graft. Choose based on the graft procedure performed.
- 15135Dermal autograftSpecified sites, initial area
- 15135 describes a dermal autograft at these sites; 15156 is for additional area treated with cultured autologous skin graft.
15156 billing questions
When should 15156 be reported instead of 15155?
Use 15155 for the initial area and 15156 for each additional 100 sq cm at the specified sites. The add-on requires 15155 as the primary procedure.
When is 15157 used instead of 15156?
For infants and children whose wound area is reported in body-surface-area increments, 15157 represents each additional 1%. Code 15156 represents each additional 100 sq cm.
Can 15156 be billed by itself?
No. It is an add-on code reported with 15155, and CMS pays it within the primary procedure’s global period.
What area documentation supports additional units?
Document the qualifying treated sites and the total wound surface area covered with cultured autologous graft. The additional units must be supported by area beyond the initial amount reported with 15155.
How does 15156 differ from split-thickness graft code 15120?
15156 is for additional area treated with cultured autologous skin graft. Code 15120 describes a split-thickness autograft for the specified sites, rather than cultured graft application.
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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